The Devil Inside
by greyshinobi1
Summary: What secrets do the Whispered hold? Some will commit any atrocity to learn their secrets. Cmdr. Andrei Kalinin knows what horrific fate awaits any potential Whispered who falls into enemy hands and now he's been tasked with protecting a young Japanese Whispered. He'll do whatever it takes to save her, even make a deal with the Devil himself. An alternate take on the first 7 eps
1. Chapter 1

**The Devil Inside**

Chapter 1

Andrey Kalinin walked through the corridors of the Tuatha de Danaan with calm, purposeful steps. In his right hand were several folders, the letters TOP SECRET stamped in red across the topmost file. He quickly made his way to the Assault Landing Submarine's brig, giving only cursory nods to the Mithril personnel that came to attention as he walked by.

_Dirty business. _He thought darkly as he returned the salutes of the two on duty MPs in the detention area. _That it would actually come to this. _He banished the dark thoughts and addressed the duty-sergeant

"What is the prisoner's status?" His tone was crisp with a hard edge. He would accept no delay.

"Commander," the MP Sergeant, already at attention, become even more rigid, "the prisoner has been…difficult." The MP swallowed as the burly Russian stared at him. "He's refused his meals, and becomes violent when anyone enters his cell. We, uh, had to restrain him with leg and wrist cuffs sir."

"I understand." Kalinin nodded and looked toward the detention area. "I will speak with the prisoner now." He stepped past to the two guards and into the detention area.

"SIR!" Both guards called out.

"You can't go in there, sir!" The MP Sergeant elaborated, "The prisoner's too dangerous."

Kalinin paused, one hand on the bulkhead leading into the detention center. "I was not aware a sergeant outranked a Lieutenant Commander." The gray-haired Russian said quietly and slowly turned around. The MPs fought the urge to flinch from Kalinin's glare. "Is that what you're trying to say?" Kalinin took a step toward the MPs and repeated his question, "Is it?"

"No sir." The MPs managed to squeak. "We-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Kalinin turned back toward the detention cell. "Just open the damn door and leave us alone. That's all you need to understand! Is that clear?"

"Yes sir." The MP Sergeant couldn't agree quickly enough. He pulled a ring full of keys from his pistol belt and stepped past the Marine CO. After unlocking the door to detention cell A-09 he stepped back," We'll be right outside if you need anything sir."

"I know, "Kalinin said and clasped the sergeant warmly on the shoulder as he stepped inside. "And I appreciate your concern."

"Thank you sir!" The MP stood a little taller as the Lt. Cmdr. closed the door to detention cell A-09.

"Well, well," A harsh voice taunted as Kalinin stepped inside, "its old man Russky himself." Kalinin could see a figure slouched on the only bunk in the ten by ten cell.

"I'd offer you a seat, but as you can see," the figure lifted his chained hands to indicate the bare room. Besides the bunk, a small sink, and a toilet in the far corner, the room was completely bare.

"That's fine," the Russian said, "I won't be long." The prisoner snorted but said nothing.

After several long moments of silence, the prisoner sighed and sat up. "What'd you want Old Man? Here to put a bullet in my head?" He said bitterly, "You gonna be the good little Commissar. Make an example of me before the troops?" He laughed loudly. "Go ahead! Like I give a shit!"

_I need talk to Sgt. Major Mao about that little book of hers. _Kalinin thought irritably. _He certainly didn't speak like that when he first arrived. _

Kalinin repressed a sigh and studied the young man. With both legs and hands cuffed and dressed in a bright orange prisoner's jumpsuit, the young man certainly looked the part of the dangerous criminal. However, this man was barely seventeen years old.

The young man had short dark hair that was snarled and in complete disarray. He was slightly stocky of build, in spite of his nearly six foot frame. He had an IQ of over 180, and he was a fully qualified field-engineer and Arm Slave mechanic.

_Look what's happened to him. _Kalinin thought. The young man had had a promising career in Mithril, or at least until he tried to bash his superior's head in with a fire ax. Kalinin grimaced, _Believe it or not corporal, I understand how you feel._

The Tuatha de Danaan's Marine Commander shifted one of the files in his hand to the top and flipped it open. "Lance Corporal Crispin Daniels, you are in violation of Article's 4, 12, and 16 of the MCMJ. The charges are: disobeying a direct order during combat. Willful endangerment of Mithril personnel. Willful and purposeful destruction of Mithril equipment. Refusing to obey a superior officer. Two counts of Aggravated Assault. Three counts of Assault upon a superior. And attempted murder of a superior."

Kalinin closed the file and continued, "When we reach home port you will be transferred to the MCF where you will await your tribunal."

"HA!" Daniels laughed. "You forget about my quick wit and sparkling personality." The lance corporal leaned forward and sneered, "Tell me something I don't already know ya fucking Russky!" He then leaned back and tried to lace his hands behind his head, but was prevented by the wrist cuffs. "If you're here to gloat go ahead." He turned away from the big Russian and muttered, "We both know you'll be glad to see me gone."

"Are you finished?" Kalinin calmly asked. The Marine Commander was unfazed by the youth's harsh words. They only served to hurt Daniels and both of them knew it. When the prisoner said nothing he continued, "Due to the severity of the charges and your uncooperativeness, if found guilty the best you could hope for is demotion to the rank of Private one and a sentence of fifteen years hard labor at the MDC. At that time, if you're lucky, you may be eligible for parole."

Silence was the only response.

"Is this what you really want?" Kalinin closed the file with a sigh. "What would Allie-"

"Shut up!" The young man sat up with a scream. He lurched to his feet and hobbled toward Kalinin. His eyes were wild and his breath ragged. "Don't you dare pull that crap with me!" He yelled at the Russian and raised his hands threateningly.

Kalinin stared stonily at the young man, but made no move to defend himself. "Do you really think your sis-"

"Stop it!" Daniels grabbed the lapels of the Russian's uniform and panted dangerously, "I swear to god, if you finish that sentence I'll fucking kill you!" When he received no response, he slowly lowered his hands and stepped back from the Mithril Officer, but his body language radiated barely restrained violence. Indeed, the knuckles of the youth's fists had gone completely white.

_CLANK! _The sound of a door being thrown open. "Sir!" The MP sergeant stepped in with his hand on his weapon. "Is every thing alright?"

"Yes, sergeant," Kalinin straightened his uniform without taking his eyes off Daniels. The young man looked away. "Everything's fine. You may return to your post, Sergeant."

"But," the MP tried to protest.

"That's an ORDER!"

"Yes sir," the MP meekly ducked back out and shut the door.

"You still got the fire don't ya Old Man," Daniels said with a strained laugh and collapsed onto his bunk.

"Court-martialed. Jailed. Dishonorably Discharged. Is that what you really want Cpl. Daniels?" Kalinin asked with an almost hint of concern.

"Yeah," was the listless answer. The youth hunched his shoulders and stared at the bare steel floor of his cell, "It doesn't fucking matter anymore."

"Commander Mardukas thinks you should be shot."

"He would. The prick."

"I agree with him."

"Heh, figures."

"The captain, however, does not."

"Wha," Daniels looked up incredulously. "You've got to be kidding?" Seeing Kalinin's stern visage he knew the former Spetsnaz commander was not joking. He shook his head in wonder and a ghost of a smile almost touched his face, "She's too fucking soft."

"On that, we can agree." Kalinin answered with a slight smile.

Daniels laughed.

"Tell me corporal have you heard of the Whispered?" Kalinin asked.

"Eh?" the engineer straightened up and regarded the older man standing in front of him. "You mean like the Captain?"

Kalinin stared in surprise. While hardly top secret, such information was kept under wraps. "You know? How?" Kalinin was impressed that the corporal knew of the Madam Captain's unique nature and let it show.

"Ah, well she told me," he scratched his chin and pondered, "I don't know, maybe six months ago. We were fabricating components for the X-7's chassis. I was amazed at her design specs and told her so. She then mentioned something about her brother and how they at least had that much in common." Daniels shrugged, "the rest wasn't hard to figure out."

"Very astute corporal," Kalinin was more than impressed. It was a well kept secret that Dr. Testarossa, the head of Mithril's R&D, was in fact one of the Whispered. And given the Madam Captain's insecurities regarding her elder brother….

"Hey," the young man smirked, "I may be a jack ass, but I'm not stupid."

"You are also a criminal, "Kalinin pointed out. When the teen's smirk turned to a scowl he continued, "what else can you tell me about the Whispered corporal?"

"Uhh," he tried to scratch his head and cursed when he was unable to because of the wrist chains. "Isn't it part of Mithril's charter to monitor, retrieve and/or eliminate all potential Whispered candidates if they should fall into the wrong hands?"

"Correct," Kalinin nodded. "I am also happy to say we have accounted for over 58 Whispered candidates." Kalinin paused, "Of course, not all of them are still living." At the last, Kalinin seemed to deflate. At that moment the big Russian's age was readily apparent.

"Um," the teen turned away. He was uncomfortable seeing the Old Man like this. "That's too bad."

"What you may not know," Kalinin continued with a cough, "is that in the past year and a half, various political extremists, terrorists groups and totalitarian regimes have stepped up efforts to acquire the secrets possessed by the Whispered."

"What in the hell does this got to do with me?" He trailed off at Kalinin's frosty glare and muttered, "Okay, sheesh! Excuse me for asking."

"Our Special Response Teams have done an incredible job stopping these groups from meeting their objectives, and I am happy to say less than half a dozen Whispered candidates remain outside of our custody."

"Wait a minute! I thought you said 100% of the Whispered were accounted for?" Daniels interrupted with frown, "Can't you just grab the rest?"

Kalinin let the interruption slide and answered the young engineer's question, "We're not in the habit of stealing people from their homes corporal."

When the young man said nothing else he continued, "After almost eleven months, we have uncovered what we believe to be the final list of Whispered candidates. Unfortunately, one of them has fallen into enemy hands and is located in the former Soviet province of Kahbarovsk. SRT-Urzu has been dispatched to rescue her, and I anticipate her arrival on the Tuatha de Danaan in 15 days."

"Her?" The teen sat back up and faced Kalinin. He felt a cold knot form in his stomach, and sweat begin to trickle down his back as he regarded the Mithril Officer warily. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said corporal," Kalinin spoke with a neutral expression. "For some unknown reason, many of the Whispered candidates are in fact young women. I am surprised at your confusion, the Madam Captain, as you pointed out, is one herself."

Daniels closed his eyes and placed his head in his hands. The air in the tiny cell suddenly felt stifling, and his breathing became erratic. It was giving him a headache. "Just tell me what you want." He whispered.

Kalinin also closed his eyes. "I want you to guard a newly revealed Japanese Whispered candidate."

"WHAT!" Daniels leapt up. "Are you insane? I'm a fucking mechanic! Not one of your goddamn bootlicking commandos!" The young man began to pace and somehow managed not to trip over his leg irons. "What am I supposed to do when someone comes for her? Talk them to fucking death! Crack them in the back of the head with an axel wrench!"

"You've done so in the past." Kalinin observed dryly.

Daniels whirled back to the Marine Officer with a crazed, desperate look, "It's not the same! Look at me! What the fuck can I do?"

"Fluent in almost a dozen languages." Kalinin read from another file. "Accepted to the MIT Gifted Students Study program at age thirteen. Received an honorary degree in Arm Slave, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering by age fifteen.

"It just made them fucking look good," the teen scoffed.

"You lied about your age and then joined the United States Marine Corps. However, you were discharged just before your sixteenth birthday when your true age was revealed."

"Goddamn pricks."

"Soon thereafter you became a member of Mithril as an Arm Slave mechanic and field-engineer. You helped insure the completion of the Tuatha de Danaan and have been instrumental in the development of the ARX-7 Arbalest."

"Bah," Daniels snorted, "I just turned some wrenches and followed Captain Testarossa's blueprints."

"I'd say you're more than qualified Cpl. Daniels," Kalinin concluded. He closed the file unfazed by the young man's protest.

"Wha," the young man stared and licked his suddenly dry lips, "Why me? I don't…. What do I get out it?"

"You're intelligent, resourceful, capable of adapting to almost any culture or environment." Kalinin's eyes pinned the young man's as he continued, "Your history and maverick nature makes you uniquely suited for the job."

"As to what you'd get?" The gray-haired Russian paused for breath, "the fact is, you are still a part of Mithril and are expected to follow orders."

"You think I'll-" Daniels face flushed with anger.

"AND!" Kalinin cut the glowering young man off, "you're conduct on this mission will become a possible mitigating factor for your upcoming tribunal." He waited for the young man's response. It wasn't long in coming.

"Ha!" The youth snickered. "HAHAHA!" He then dissolved into full-blown laughter and soon the youth couldn't control himself. He was almost maniacal as he laughed and laughed and laughed.

"That-" Daniels gasped. "Ow, my head." He giggled, "Your face. Your stupid face!" He started hiccupping and collapsed onto the bunk. "I can't—this has got-to be the Captain's idea!" He clutched his sides and struggled to breathe, "Only she could come up with something." He shook and twitched with suppressed mirth, "something this hair-brained!"

"Actually," The burly Russian said, "it was my idea."

The laughter stopped.

"What?" Daniels stared intently at the Russian commander, "you're CAN'T be serious!" His eyes widened at Kalinin's slight nod. Then they narrowed, "Why the fuck me? Why don't you get that little toy soldier of yours?" He sneered, "Sounds like the perfect job for little Sousuke Sagara!" At the young Mithril sergeant's name, he raised his voice to a falsetto, "Oh, Sousuke you big stupid knight in shining armor. Save me!"

"That," Kalinin's eyes narrowed dangerously, "is uncalled for corporal." At the youth's scoff he sighed and reached for another file. "_I don't have time for these games._ " He thought darkly. "Corporal, if you wish to spend the rest of your life rotting away in the MDC that's your business." Finding the folder he was looking for Kalinin tossed it at the young man's feet.

Daniels was about to retort when he saw the file on the ground. The name _Whispered Status Report _was clearly visible across the top, and the letters –TOP SECRET- were stamped in red over the title.

He stared at the folder for a very long time. The air seemed to be squeezed from his body as he regarded the file. He was frozen in place and couldn't move. He licked his lips and rubbed his palms against the legs of his jumpsuit for several moments. His eyes slowly traced the large letters on the file. Finally, he closed them and turned away.

"Corporal," Kalinin began not unkindly, "I'm not unsympathetic to your situation."

"Go." Daniels cut him off, "Just…go away and leave me alone."

"As you wish," he turned toward the door. "I'll be back at 0530 tomorrow for your final decision."

Silence was the only response.

"If you're wondering, you're not the only Mithril soldier I've selected for this mission. As soon as one is back on the duty roster, I'll deploy an SRT to watch over the Whispered girl as well."

"Then why me?"

The question was so faint Kalinin was surprised he'd heard it. "I refuse to take any chances." The Russian answered frankly, "More is at stake than Black Technology. That file contains everything we know about the Whispered candidates and their fates. Everything."

Kalinin turned back around to face the young corporal. "Look at me Daniels," when the young man complied he locked gazes with the teenaged boy and repeated himself, "Do you understand? Everything."

After the sullen teen nodded the Russian commander spoke gravely, "Yours isn't the only fate that will be decided tomorrow corporal. I'd imagine you, more than anyone else, could appreciate what I mean. If you don't believe me, that file will clear any doubts you may have."

After a long pause he turned back to the door, opened it, and stepped out. "I'll see you in the morning Cpl. Daniels. After you've read the file, I think you'll agree with my assessment."

"Fuck you," the young man spat at the officer's back.

Crispin Daniels did not move or look up as Kalinin stepped out, shut, and locked the door. Instead, he starred at the far wall of his cell, rubbing the palm of his hands on the legs of his jumpsuit.

Kalinin let out a long sigh as one of the MPs secured Cpl. Daniels's cell.

"You all right sir?" The MP Sergeant asked in concern. "He can get kinda rough."

"I'm fine, sergeant." Kalinin assured the MP. "There's nothing to worry about."

"If you say so sir." Both MPs looked skeptical.

Satisfied for now, Kalinin turned and began to walk out of the detention area followed by the two MPs.

WHAM! A loud crash followed by screaming startled Kalinin and the MPs. They rushed back into the detention area where the noise originated from.

BANG! THUMP! CRASH!

Kalinin halted and stopped the MPs as they came to the door the noise, and screaming, was coming from. It was detention cell A-09: Cpl. Daniels's cell.

CLANG! The cell door seemed to shudder under a heavy impact. All the while the corporal's screaming echoed throughout the detention area.

White-faced the MP Sergeant moved to open the door, but Kalinin put a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Sir," the MP weakly protested, "he's going to hurt himself."

"I know," Kalinin said, "but there's nothing we can do to stop that now." He'd expected a reaction like this when he showed Cpl. Daniels that file.

The big Russian checked his watch, "Go to the infirmary. Get a medic, no better yet, get the CMO down here. Tell them I sent you." He looked up to see the MPs staring at him blankly. "What are you waiting for?" He snapped, "Move! Now!"

"Yes sir!" The lower ranked MP turned and all but ran for the infirmary.

The MP Sgt. and Kalinin waited impatiently for the doctor to arrive outside of Cpl Daniels's cell. After a seeming eternity, the screams and violence stopped and was replaced by a soul-wrenching sob.

Kalinin sighed deeply and glanced at his watch. He was a bit surprised to see that less than two minutes had passed.

As the sobbing continued, he turned away from the cell door and sighed again. At that moment he felt tired, very tired, and extremely old. "I understand how you feel corporal. I really do."


	2. Chapter 2

_Note: From chapter 3 and on the other character's will begin to take on a more prominent roll. Also since I forgot to mention in chapter one, I consider Sousuke to be the hero of Full Metal Panic and Kaname's his girl and together they are the most significant characters of the story. That was always on my mind as I was writing this fic and I'd like to think i did a pretty good job avoiding any mary sueisms. But feel free to judge for yourselves!_

**The Devil Inside**  
Chapter 2

For the first time in over two months, Lance Corporal Crispin Daniels walked through the corridors of the Tuatha de Danaan. He had to admit it was a nice feeling, even if he was flanked by two burly MPs and the back of his left shoulder itched like hell. So what if every person they crossed shot him dark looks? Or if the MPs poked him with their batons if he dragged his feet.

It was great to be alive!

"Hey! How's it going?" Crispin smiled broadly at his fellow crewmates. "Good to see you!" He nodded at everyone as the MPs pushed him along. Not once was his smile or nod returned. But that was fine too. At least now they got to be as irritated as he was. "If I got to suffer with this fucking shoulder." He thought sourly. "Then you pricks can suffer my charming company!"

The young AS engineer no longer wore a orange jumpsuit. Instead, he was dressed in his own civilian clothes. Which consisted of a short-sleeved purple button-up shirt, plain black slacks (no belt) and a pair of slightly worn-out running shoes.

Despite the change in wardrobe, his life had not really improved. It had only changed into a new level of hell. And at the moment, his greatest source of torment was the pair of handcuffs clapped on his wrists. Not only did they cause his right wrist to throb painfully, despite the thick gauze and tape bandage, but he couldn't even scratch his SHOULDER!

"Come on guys," he whined to the MPs. "Just a quick scratch. Fuck, it'll only take a minute. It's not like you'll get in trouble-"

"Quiet!" The MP behind him barked. He prodded the corporal with the tip of his baton for good measure. "Suck it up. You got a ride to catch."

"Geez!" Crispin muttered, "who pissed in your cheerios?"

The mechanic was shoved hard from behind and nearly fell. The corporal suppressed a growl and regained his balance. This was bullshit! His so-called freedom an illusion. "I've gotten squat since I agreed to the Old Man's plan!" He muttered.

He thought back to the second meeting he had with the Tuatha de Danaan's Marine CO two days ago…

"This is not a reward, Daniels." The 'Old Man' had warned him the morning after their first meeting. "There's a job to be done, and I expect you to do it."

"Yeah whatever," Cpl. Daniels cradled his right hand, which was set in a temporary cast. "I'll be your little puppet. Alright Old Man!" It was early in the morning, and he was in too much pain to argue with Kalinin right now.

"See that you do," Kalinin cautioned, "and not just for your sake either."

The AS engineer shot the burly Russian a fierce glare. "I said I'd do it. So get the fuck off my back!"

"Not the smartest move Daniels." Crispin sighed as he was marched toward the upper flight deck of the Tuatha de Danaan. He hadn't spoken with the dear Lt. Cmdr. since. In fact, he'd done a whole lot of nothing, except feel sorry for himself and nurse a broken hand.

This morning everything changed. He was woken up by the guards at 0430 and dragged to the infirmary. There the Flight Surgeon, after a lot of poking and prodding, declared his hand nearly recovered and replaced his cast with a tape and gauze bandage.

Once the Flight Surgeon was finished, he was instructed to strip to the waist and lay on a particular examination table. He spent the next two hours getting something stuck into his left shoulder. It sounded worse than it was. Compared to the ache in his hand, the work on his shoulder had been a cake walk.

Except, he thought with growing irritation, for this itch that I can't do a god-damn thing ABOUT!

"Ouff!" Without warning, Crispin slammed into the MP in front of him when the large figure stopped. He grunted as sharp pain shot through his right hand. "Watch it dumb ass!" He cradled the throbbing hand and glared at the back of the MPs head.

The MP regarded the young man with a tight smile, "We're here…dumb ass!" As his partner cackled the MP nodded toward the open flight deck of the Tuatha de Danaan.

Crispin bit back his retort and shook his head, "Too fucking easy!" Instead he peered around the MP and looked out on the Tuatha de Danaan's flight deck for the first time in three months.

"Oh yeah! I love that ocean breeze." The lance corporal groaned as his face was blasted with the scent of the wind and sea. "Now, that's more like it. It's been way too fucking long."

The MP he bumped into scowled, "Stop gawking princess and get a move on! The Captain's waiting."

Across the flight deck, Crispin could see a Six-Pack, one of Mithril's six-bladed transport helicopters, already warming up. And waiting off to the side of the helicopter's cargo door was none other than Lt. Cmdr Kalinin AND Capt. Testarossa.

"Well gee whiz," Crispin muttered sarcastically, "they must really want my ass off this boat to give me this kind of sendoff."

"Hey Captain, looking good!" The lance corporal called out as they approached the two officers. He grinned when the petite Captain gave a start and looked away in embarrassment. His humor was short lived, however, when a baton slapped him in the torso.

"Watch your mouth!" An MP growled.

"Nice one," Crispin gasped in pain and rubbed his side. "That's gonna leave a mark!"

The MPs herded the corporal in front of the two senior officers and saluted. "The prisoner's present and accounted for as requested Captain."

Tessa, her poise recovered, returned the salute smartly, "Thank you Sergeant. Please remove Lance Cpl. Daniels's bindings. He won't be needing them anymore."

"Uh," the MP looked uncertain at the smirking Daniels and the silver-haired Captain's cool expression. "Yes Ma'am."

Tessa nodded as the bindings were removed from the AS engineer's wrist. "Thank you, Sergeant. You're dismissed."

"Ahhh!" Crispin sighed in relief as he finally got to scratch his left shoulder. It was awkward using only his left hand, but he didn't care. "Soooo good!"

The MPs looked uncertainly between the prisoner and their Captain, "Yes ma'am!" They saluted, turned and exited the flight deck.

"Cpl. Daniels," Tessa held out her right hand, "it's been a long time."

"Uh," Crispin stopped scratching his shoulder and held up his bandaged right hand. "You'll forgive me if I don't shake right Captain?" He quipped.

"Oh no!" Tessa gasped. "I'm so sorry Cpl. Daniels! Please forgive me." She stepped back her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Aww, don't be like that Captain." He shifted uncomfortably. Captain Testarossa was one of the few people he actually admired on the Tuatha de Danaan. "I'm the one who should be saying sorry. Now you're at least two month's behind schedule on X-7."

"Oh no," Tessa turned back toward the young engineer. "You shouldn't-"

"Ahem," Kalinin coughed. "Madam Captain, we'll miss our launch window if we delay any longer."

"Yes, of course Lt. Commander," the silver-haired girl stammered an apology, "please continue."

"Thank you Madam Captain." The Lt. Cmdr. nodded in thanks.

"Cpl. Daniels," Kalinin began without preamble, "I trust you've received a clean bill of health from the infirmary."

"Yeah," Crispin scowled at the gray-haired officer, "they say I'm ready to go." He glared at Kalinin and scratched his shoulder again, "What the hell did they do to my shoulder anyway?" The good mood he had been in was gone now. Watching the Captain get all flustered was a hell of a lot better than talking to the 'Old Man.'

"Ah," Kalinin actually smiled, never a good sign, "I'm surprised you waited this long to ask." He chuckled at the young corporal's glare and explained, "It's very simple really. A sub-dermal marker has been placed within your shoulder."

Pause.

"WHAT?" Crispin all but screamed. "I've been COLLARED?" His rage grew as he yelled, "You son of a bitch!" He ignored the Captain's startled gasp and continued his tirade," You fucking Russky! I should've known you'd pull this crap!" He stepped toward Kalinin and raised his good hand, "I should lay your ass out right here Old Man!"

"You're welcome to try," Kalinin grinned wolfishly. "But I warn you. You won't get a second chance."

Crispin pasued in his advance on the Russian and frowned. He was far from being in top form. With an injured hand even a geriatric like Kalinin could lay him on his backside if he tried anything right now.

"Yeah, whatever," he spat and slowly lowered his fist. "Like I give a shit!"

Tessa repressed a sigh of relief when the young corporal stepped back from the Lt. Cmdr. It saddened her to see the two men almost come to blows. Yet she would have broken them up herself, if necessary. In fact she had been prepared to call on the Six-Pack's flight crew to stop them.

"As I've told you before Cpl. Daniels," Kalinin continued undaunted by the near confrontation. "This isn't a reward. And as far Mithril's concerned, you're still a criminal. The sub-dermal marker will allow us to monitor your whereabouts at all times. So I wouldn't try any funny business if I were you." He smiled at the glowering teen and continued, "It will also serve as a communication tool for you on your mission."

"Say again," Crispin's anger was replaced with confusion as he looked between Kalinin and Tessa. "What? I'm some kind of walking transistor radio now?" He scoffed at the notion.

"Actually, that's not too far off Cpl. Daniels," Tessa said. At his scoff she explained, "The chip implanted in your shoulder is a multi-purpose transceiver that utilizes the bio-electric energies of your body. It will allow us to monitor your condition and location at all times. And, as the Lt. Cmdr. said, by stimulating your central nervous system, the chip will allow you to receive and send very brief messages." She paused and added apologetically, "Although, the process is highly uncomfortable."

"So," the young man sighed, "I'm actually a guinea pig. Collared like a dog, and I've been turned into some freaking two-way radio?" Upon reflection, it wasn't really surprising, but Crispin was still upset about it.

The whine of the Six-Pack's engines warming up brought the conversation to a halt. The crew chief also erased any doubts when he ran up and announced over the engine's noise, "I sorry Sir, Ma'am, but we've got to get going. There's a Hawkeye inbound. ETA less than ten mikes!"

Kalinin and Tessa nodded.

"Thank you chief!" Kalinin yelled back, "Your passenger will be boarding now!"

The crew chief gave the Lt. Cmdr. a thumbs up and ran back to inform the pilot.

"Well Cpl. this it!" Kalinin had to lean in and yell over the roar and wind created by the Six-Pack's powerful rotor-blades. He held out a thick 8-½ " x 11" plain yellow envelope. "These are your orders! They will explain everything you need to know!"

Crispin squinted his eyes against the howling wind and took the envelope. A sudden thought occurred to him, "Where's my gear?" He had to repeat himself twice before Kalinin nodded in understanding.

"Already loaded!" The Russian officer yelled and pointed toward the Six-Pack. A over-stuffed duffel bag was barely visible in the dark interior.

The roar quickly grew to a high-pitched howl and talking was impossible. So the young man nodded in thanks and stepped toward the waiting helicopter. Before he'd taken two steps he turned back toward Tessa.

To both the young woman's and Kalinin's surprise, the corporal wrapped the de Danaan's Captain in a gentle embrace. He leaned forward and whispered an urgent question into her ear. After a long pause, Tessa hesitantly shook her head no.

The young man stepped back with moist eyes and a relieved smile on his face. He quickly wiped his eyes, saluted the silver-haired girl, and dashed for the waiting Six-Pack. As soon as he was inside, the cargo door slammed shut and the helicopter leapt into the air. Less than a minute later its ECS activated and the Six-Pack vanished from sight.

The two officers stood in silence a moment before exiting the flight deck and heading back into the de Danaan.

"Madam Captain," Kalinin asked once they reentered the submarine's dark corridors. "May I inquire what that was all about?"

Tessa stopped and regarded her Chief Marine Officer. "Of course! I don't mind." She tilted her head and fiddled with the end of her braid before slowly answering, "He asked, begged really, if what'd happened to the others had happened to me. I told him no." A frown crossed her pretty features, "He was so relieved. But… why was he crying?" The last part she whispered.

"In the race to acquire the secrets of 'Black Technology'…." Kalinin coughed and considered his next words carefully. "The fate of many Whispered… has not been pleasant." He squashed the anger he felt as he recalled the images contained within the file he showed Daniels. "Knowing that, it's unsurprising Cpl. Daniels was concerned."

"Yes, I understand that, but…" Tessa dropped her braid and looked at Kalinin, "Do you think we've done the right thing Lt. Cmdr?"

"Yes, Madam Captain," Kalinin answered without hesitation, "I think we have. With the exception of you, myself, and Cmdr. Mardukas, Cpl. Daniels is the only one on this ship who understands exactly what's at stake."

"I'm glad you think so too, Lt. Cmdr Kalinin." Tessa confessed with a smile.

"So am I, Madam Captain," Kalinin returned the smile. "So am I."


	3. Chapter 3

****_Notes: I love Kyouko, she's such a freak (in a good way)!  
_

_Please feel free to leave any comments or reviews. Thanks!  
_

**The Devil Inside**  
Chapter 3

_Two days later: Tokyo, Japan. _

As morning dawned in Tokyo, a young girl in the Tama area threw back her sheets and rose from bed. She padded across her room and stood in front of her window. It was covered in thick drapes that prevented any light from shining through. After a pause, she ripped open the curtains and sunlight flooded the room.

"It's morning!" The girl announced cheerfully. With a laugh she flopped back onto her bed and started to bounce on it. "It's morning!" Bounce. "It's morning!" Another bounce. "It's -ACK!"

THUMP! On the third bounce she missed the bed but not the floor.  
"Oww!" The girl sat up woozily, her brown hair drifted all around like a cloud. "That hurt." She whined and rubbed her backside.

"Tokiwa Kyouko!" A loud voice called out. "I've told you! Stop jumping on the bed in the morning!"

"Sorry mother!" Kyouko stuck out her tongue and giggled. Glancing back at her window she gasped and struggled to disentangle herself from her bed sheets. Once free Kyouko leapt up, grabbed her digital camera off the dresser, and rushed to the window.

"Wow!" She gazed in awe at the sun shining over Tokyo's skyline. She snapped two pictures and then stared at all the glittering glass and steel of the city.

The buzzing of her alarm clock snapped Kyouko out her daze. It showed 7:25 a.m. "Time to get ready!" She spun around, switched off her alarm, and practically flounced to her bathroom.

"Kyouko!" Her mother was waiting for her at the foot of the stairs when she came rushing down half an hour later. The older woman crossed her arms and frowned. "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't jump on your bed in the morning! You disturbed your father and nearly gave me a heart-attack!"

"Sorry!" Kyouko came to a stop before her mother and beamed. "I didn't mean to scare you." She held up a green hair-ribbon and asked, "Could you finish tying my hair?" She grinned sheepishly and gestured to her one finished braid. "I'm kinda out of time and you're a lot faster at it than me."

Her mother sighed. "All right," she said, "But I don't want another repeat of this morning!" She smiled and took the scarf, "Now turn around."

Kyouko grinned as her mother finished her second braid and tied it off with the scarf. She knew asking for help with her hair would calm the older woman down.

"Thanks!" Kyouko jumped up when her mother finished and kissed her cheek. She grabbed her things and announced, 'Time for school!" She practically bounced out the door.

"That girl!" Kyouko's mother shook her head.

Kyouko looked all around as she walked toward school. She didn't want to miss anything interesting. Everywhere she looked, all kinds of people walked. They had all kinds of clothes and hair styles. It was amazing.

"Oh, wow!" She exclaimed at one intersection. With so many people moving at once and mingling in and out, the crossing looked like a rainbow to Kyouko. She snapped a quick picture with her camera and hurried across.

Stopping three more times to take a quick picture, Kyouko was almost to school when she spotted a cat grooming itself. It was white with black spots. The pattern of the spots formed a stripe-like pattern.

"Meow." The cat looked up as Kyouko approached.

"Here kitty," Kyouko held out her hand as she crouched in front of the feline. "Come here. I won't hurt you."

The cat regarded her warily and slowly moved toward the outstretched hand. However, when Kyouko raised her camera it stiffened and ran off down a side-street.

"No," Kyouko called out. "Wait kitty!" She stood and quickly chased after it. She followed the cat down three side-streets and into a quiet residential area where she lost sight of it.

"Where did it go?" She panted slightly.

After catching her breath Kyouko looked around. The neighborhood she was in looked to be under renovation. And she didn't see anyone around whom she could ask about the cat.

"Aww," she pouted. "That kitty looked just like a Zebra too!" With a sigh she turned and began to retrace her steps, "Guess I better get to school." Never one to stay depressed she just shrugged and giggled. "I can't wait to tell Kaname!"

WHACK! Kyouko turned a corner and crashed right into a trio of boys from a local high-school. The impact knocked the petite girl onto the ground and caused her to drop her camera and book bag. One of the boys stumbled back and would have fallen if his two friends had not caught him.

"Oww!" Kyouko rubbed her backside for the second time this morning. She spied her camera laying on the edge of the street curb. "My camera!" Forgetting her pain she lunged for it, but it was lifted up by the boy she almost knocked over.

"Hey!" The boy snapped at the bespectacled girl. He dangled the camera over Kyouko's head by its carrying strap. "What's your problem? You nearly knocked me and my friends over and all you're worried about it this stupid thing!"

"I'm sorry!" Kyouko quickly stood up. These boys were a lot taller than she. "I'm really sorry!" She bowed deeply in apology. "I was in a hurry and wasn't watching where I was going!" She bowed again. "Can I please have my camera back? I need to get to class."

The three boys exchanged smirks.

"Sure," the one holding her camera drawled. "Here you go." He held out the camera in front of her face, but when she reached for it he drew it back. "Well," he grinned. "What are you waiting for?" Predictably, whenever Kyouko tried to grab the camera the boy would move it out of reach.

"Ugh!" Kyouko leaped up and barely missed her camera. "Please! Give it back! My camera!"

"Don't look at me!" The boy laughed at her words and backed away. "I'm not stopping you." As Kyouko followed, one of his friends' stuck a foot out and tripped her. All three boys roared in laughter as the girl fell to the sidewalk.

"OWW!" Kyouko gasped in pain. She had scrapped her knees and palms in the fall. Her uniform was filthy, and her braids where starting to come undone. She sat up slowly and looked at the laughing boys. "Can I please have my camera back?" She begged on the verge of tears.

"Stupid fucking Russky!" Crispin Daniels cursed the Mithril Officer as he walked the streets of Tokyo. "These are your orders." He said in a falsetto. "They will explain everything you need to know." He shook his head in disgust, "Bah! Stupid Old Man!"

Two days ago, the Six-Pack had dropped the reluctant Mithril operative off in a deserted park on the edge of Tokyo. From there he was completely on his own. He had to find lodging, food, and even where the target was. Not to mention where she went to school!

"Nothing!" Crispin seethed as he walked through the streets of Tokyo in a clean and pressed Jindai High boy's uniform. "That fucking Old Man gave me nothing! No weapons! No surveillance equipment! No arrangements for lodging or provisions! Not even any paperwork to enroll with! Argh!" The only bright point was that he'd gotten his laptop and personalized electrician's toolkit back.

The last forty-eight hours had been very harrowing He'd had to find a place to live, locate the target's home and school, and then try to get himself enrolled in her class!

Seeing the strange looks he was attracting, Crispin sighed and resisted the urge to curse Kalinin and Mithril once more. Spotting a nearby bench he sat on it and tried to calm down.

"Okay," he pulled the envelope Kalinin had given him out of his new book bag, "let's take inventory." Inside was half a dozen photographs attached to several reports about the Whispered. He felt a chill at the photos and quickly continued. Next was a folded up street map of Tokyo. The envelope also held one credit card with a 35,000 yen limit and a local bank card.

The bank card was the most surprising. When he accessed it with the PIN provided, the AS engineer was shocked to see it opened to an account with enough Yen equal to exactly three months pay- the same amount of time he'd spent incarcerated on the de Danaan.

That made renting an apartment a lot simpler than expected. It wasn't the nicest one, but it was located almost halfway between the target's residence and Jindai High.

School was the hardest, and most important, part. The Whispered Candidate would be at school six days a week for eight to ten hours a day. Not having any access to her for that long was out of the question.

However, for some strange reason enrolling in a Japanese high school was a lot more difficult than renting an apartment! He'd spent the last thirty-six hours forging documents, hacking public records, and a whole laundry list of illegal activities. All so he would have a legal identity in Japan and be able to enroll in Jindai Public High School.

"Fucked up priorities," Crispin shook his head in disgust at the the Japanese high-school system. The whole time he'd been working on the new records he expected one of Mithril's SRT's to kick down the door of his apartment and drag him back to the de Danaan. "With my luck, it'd be Sagara who slaps the cuffs on me too!"

Shaking his head clear of THAT unsettling image the Lance Corporal pulled out the last item from the envelope, his orders. Stamped with Mithril's insignia on top and the Tuatha de Danaan's at the bottom the document read as follows:

_081102; Lance Corporal Crispin Daniels (mission designation Judas-1) will locate Whispered Candidate-17A: Kaname Chidori (designation Angel). Judas-1 will determine observation points, fields of fire, and __approach _vectors to Angel's home. Judas-1 will also evaluate subject's WBT probability according to Muller's Law, and determine full extent and knowledge of 'Black Technology'. 

_Upon arrival of the SRT Judas-1 will deliver all tactical and personal analysis to the NCOIC. and then support the SRT's efforts in protecting Angel in a manner deemed appropriate by the NCOIC. _

_Signed, __  
__Andrey Kalinin, Lt. Cmdr. __  
__Mithril Marine Detachment TDD-1, Commanding_

The teen Mithril agent resisted the urge to curse again. "Basically, I find the girl. Stalk the girl. Figure out what makes her tick. Tell the SRT what a thrill it is and then get the fuck out of the way!" He refolded his orders with a snort and repacked the envelope.

Crispin finished and watched the morning traffic flow past him. "Why did I get picked for this sham job?" He thought bitterly. Crispin leaned back and closed his eyes. "God Allie," he murmured, "what the hell has your big bro gotten himself into?"

"_Hey, Sis! Guess who's back!" Crispin called out happily as he opened the door to the house he shared with his younger sister. The house was empty as he tossed his duffel bag on the overstuffed couch. "Guess, Allie's still at school." He muttered when no one answered. _

_He was startled by the ringing of the telephone. He stared as the phone as it continued to ring. Fighting down a sense of growing dread Crispin finally picked it up. _

___"Hello."_

Crispin jolted upright wheezing heavily. Somehow he'd dreamed of Allie again. "Fuck," he moaned and cradled his head in his left hand. "What's happening to me?" His chest was heaving and his eyes were full of tears. Unbidden, his mind recalled the images from Kalinin's Whispered file and he recoiled. "Not now!" He clamped his jaw shut and fought back a sob, "Not fucking now."

Several minutes later, Crispin drew one shaky breath and then another and another.

"Okay," he said with a steady voice. "I gotta take some tests!" He stood up and drew a piece of paper from his uniform pocket. It was his enrollment notification for Jindai High. According to it, he would have to take a series of placement tests starting at 10:30 a.m. today. The results would determine his year ranking and class placement.

"Damn!" Crispin cursed. It was 7:17 a.m. according to his watch and Jindai High was only twenty minutes away. "Guess I'll just do some sight seeing then." Nodding to himself, he strode purposefully into the morning pedestrian traffic.

_One hour later. __  
_

"Okaaay," Crispin frowned at the dilapidated neighborhood he'd wondered into. "What the hell is this place supposed to be?" The neighborhood was eerily quite and half the streets seemed to be under renovation. Broken blocks of cement were strewn randomly about and the mechanic even caught sight of discarded tools. "Where are the workers?" He stumbled over a half dug trench and muttered darkly, "Civic mindedness and efficiency my ass!"

"Can I please have my camera back?"

Crispin froze and looked around, but saw no one. "That sounded like a girl." He shook his head and muttered, "This place ain't right. I'm getting outta here."

Before he had taken a single step, he heard mocking laughter from around the corner up ahead. Crispin growled and tossed his book bag aside. He walked boldly toward the corner with his good hand shoved into his pant's pocket.

"You gonna cry?" The boy holding Kyouko's camera taunted. He leaned forward and dangled the camera in front of the girl's lowered face. "Well, what are you waiting for? Here it is." His friends laughed when the girl made no move to take it.

Kyouko starred miserably at the ground as the three boys gathered around her. Suddenly, she heard whistling. Looking up she saw another boy her age walk around the corner whistling a jaunty tune. He had a stocky build and was similar in height to the three bullies. However his complexion was much lighter, marking him as a European or North American. His right hand was wrapped in gauze and the other was tucked into his pant's pocket.

The new boy casually strode up to them and paused just as he was about to pass. "Excuse me," he asked looking straight at Kyouko. "You go to Jindai High?"

"Huh?" Kyouko stared. She was surprised the boy was speaking to her in near-perfect Japanese. "Wha, what?" She felt a tremor in her voice and trailed off. She sniffed and tired again. "I-I, What do you mean?"

"That uniform." He said, "That's the girl's uniform for Jindai High right?"

"Yes, yes it is." Kyouko wiped her eyes and answered.

"Great!" He smiled, "Could ya give me directions?" He shrugged his shoulders in embarrassment, "I'm afraid I got a little lost." He grinned sheepishly.

The three bullies watched the brief exchange in silence.

"Uh," Kyouko felt hope surge in her breast. "Sure-eek!" She was cut off when the lead bully grabbed Kyouko under the arm and yanked the girl to her feet. She blushed as he pulled her against him.

"Hey!" The bully said holding Kyouko to his side. "That's my girlfriend you're talking to!" His two friends stepped beside him and scowled at the interrupter of their little game. "We were hoping to spend a little quality time together." He slipped his arm around the girl's waist and grinned when she stiffened. "Sorry, but you're going to have find your own way."

"Hey," the boy held up his bandaged hand in a placating gesture. "No problem!" He grinned and winked at the scowling boy, "Far be it for me to stand in the way of true love."

Kyouko gasped and watched in growing horror as the new boy stepped past them with a little wave and continued down the road. Her heart froze when he disappeared around the corner.

Kyouko tore herself free of her tormenter. "Please," she begged. "I just want my camera." She whispered as tears ran down her cheeks, "I didn't mean to run into you."

"What, this thing?" The boy held up her camera with a laugh. He leaned forward and smirked, "What's it worth to you?"

"I, I don't have much money," Kyouko sniffed. She gasped as the boy stepped closer.

"Who wants money?" He leered.

"I do!" A voice announced gleefully from behind.

The lead bully turned and a fist smashed his nose in. He groaned from the impact and stumbled into Kyouko, knocking her down. He dropped the camera he was holding and clutched his broken nose.

Crispin Daniels turned toward the other two. With a broken nose, the lead bully was no longer a threat. His smiled evilly and his eyes held a glassy faraway look.

The other two exchanged startled looks and rushed their attacker simultaneously. The mechanic tripped the second boy, but he was grabbed by the third around the waist and slammed into the wall behind them.

Kyouko gasped as she watched the new boy slam into the wall. She tried to stand, but was pushed back down as the lead bully staggered past her to join the fray. She noticed the second boy also get to his feet and charge in.

Crispin growled, unconcerned, as the three boys closed in. Rational thought was gone. All that remained was rage.

He slammed his foot into the lead bully's stomach who collapsed clutching his midriff. The second boy punched Crispin in the mouth. The AS engineer smiled when blood flowed from his lip, but that was the only apparent effect. The third tightened his grip around Crispin's torso and tried to pull the Mithril operative to the ground.

Kyouko fumbled on the ground until she found a fist-sized piece of loose concrete. She staggered to her feet. Gripping the stone firmly in both hands, she raised it over her head and with a yell hurled it at the third boy, who still had his arms locked around the mechanic's chest.

SMASH! The concrete piece barely missed the third boy's head and shattered against the wall. Flinching from the near impact, he relaxed his grip and Crispin quickly freed himself.

Unconcerned about his own injuries, the AS engineer wrapped his bandaged hand around the third boy's throat and dug his fingers into the boy's windpipe. The boy clawed at the hand crushing his throat, while the second one tried to grab the corporal from the opposite side.

Snarling in rage, Crispin shook the second boy off. He spun and smashed the third boy's face into the wall. The boy slumped to the ground and Crispin turned on the second one.

"Uh," the second boy stammered. He couldn't believe the rage-filled figure before him was the same smiling, whistling boy from before. "Sorry! I didn't mean anything by it!" He slowly backed away and turned to run. Before he could get away he was grabbed by the hair.

The Lance Corporal smashed the boy's face into his knee. With a groan the boy staggered and would have collapsed if he had not been held up by the hair. Crispin then turned and flung the boy into their leader who had just gotten back on his feet. Both collapsed in a moaning heap.

Crispin reached down and picked the second boy up by the scruff of the neck and flung him into the wall next to the third one. He reached down to repeat the process with the first.

Kyouko watched in growing horror as her rescuer began to mercilessly beat the bullies. "NO!" She yelled and flung herself against his side. She only nudged him a bit off balance, but it was enough to stop him.

The three boys used the opportunity to stagger to their feet and hobble off. Kyouko flinched and closed her eyes when he growled. A hand dug into her shoulder and she whimpered.

However, nothing happened.

"Wha?" Kyouko whispered and opened one eye. To her surprise she was still in one piece and there was no sign of the other boys. She realized she was clutching the side of her rescuer. His chest heaved like a bellows and he was covered in sweat, but he made no move toward Kyouko. She blushed from the proximity and broke away.

"Oh god," Crispin stared at his hands in horror. He couldn't breathe. His chest hitched, but he couldn't draw a good breath. He started to tremble and the ground began to spin. "Not again." He moaned. "Please not again!" He staggered a few steps and collapsed by the curb.

Kyouko stared slack-jawed as the boy fell to his hands and knees and began to vomit in the rain gutter. She winched and felt a little nauseous herself. "Um, are you okay?" She asked hesitantly. She received no reply as he continued to empty the contents of his stomach.

After a long while he finally stopped, and Kyouko repeated her question.

"What do you think?" He said dully. Crispin shuddered and began to cough.

Kyouko bit her lip in indecision. His trembling form quickly made up her mind. "Here," she said and knelt down next to the boy, "let me help." She put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Crispin stiffened at the physical contact. He looked over his shoulder at the girl and groaned as his vision began to spin again. "You sure you want to?" He panted.

Kyouko jumped when she saw his face. It was pasty-white and his eyes were bloodshot. Ignoring his question she looked around frantically and spotted her camera and schoolbag.

"Hmm, wait here." Kyouko got up and hurried over to her camera and bag. She repressed a cry of dismay at the condition of her camera: the lens was cracked. She stuck it in her bag and hurried back to the boy's side.

"Do you think you can walk?" Kyouko asked hesitantly. She wasn't sure if it was the best thing to do, but staying here was the last thing she wanted. And it didn't seem to be doing him any good either.

"Walk?" Crispin stared blankly at the girl. At her nod comprehension dawned and he began to pull himself up. He gasped in pain as he put pressure on his right hand. He'd forgotten about his previous injury during the fight.

"What's the matter?" Kyouko steadied him by the shoulders. "Should I call an ambulance?" The boy was in worse shape than she thought. It was hard to believe this was the same person who had so viciously fought off three large high-school boys.

"NO!" Crispin's shout startled Kyouko. At her wide-eyed look he tried to undo the damage, "I'm fine." He stood up on wobbly feet, "see I don't need an ambulance." Despite his words, he started swaying and would have fallen if Kyouko hadn't steadied him.

"Are you sure?" Kyouko asked. He still looked really sick to her untrained eye. At his nod, she acquiesced. "Alright, but at least let me help you."

"Sure," Crispin nodded. He was in no shape to disagree. "What a way to start the day!" He thought miserably.

"Okay, um," Kyouko bit her lip and then draped his arm over her shoulder. "I think there's a public fountain over this way."

It was slow going and an incredible strain on Kyouko's nerves. The boy was heavy and he smelled, but she refused to give up. The only good thing was that the worst of the morning traffic had passed, so she only got a few stares as the two stumbled along.

"You can rest here," Kyouko said as they eased down on the edge of the large fountain she passed every day on her way to school. The boy groaned and put his head between his legs. Fortunately, he looked a lot less pale, much to Kyouko's relief.

She pulled a yellow handkerchief from her bag and soaked it in the fountain's waters. "Here," she held out the wet cloth to Crispin. She blushed when he took it from her hands.

Crispin sighed and slowly began to dampen his face. He moaned in relief. The walk had done him a lot of good. His trembling had stopped and the nausea had passed. Now he just felt drained and very sweaty. Oh and his right hand felt like it was on fire.

He winced as he gingerly probed his bloodied lip. It'd been cut by the second boy's punch. He was sure it would look nice and swollen tomorrow. He re-wet the cloth and began to rub the back of his head and neck.

"Thank you." Kyouko whispered as she watched the boy clean himself.

Crispin regarded the girl beside him. She was staring at her lap and twisting her hands together. He rinsed the handkerchief out and put it back in her hand.

"I should be thanking you." He said with a forced smile. Kyouko stammered that he had helped her and the Lance Corporal shook his head. "Damn Japanese and their annoying sense of propriety." He thought in irritation.

"Quiet!" Crispin snapped. He winched at his tone and tried to soften it with a smile, "Look, it's okay. You helped me out, and I helped you out." The girl looked back up and he continued, "So how about we just call it even and put the whole thing behind us?"

Kyouko blinked as the boy stopped her apology. She tilted her head quizzically at his suggestion, and regarded him a long moment before returning his smile. "Okay," she nodded. "That's sounds fine to me."

"Great!" The Mithril agent sighed in relief. He stared at Kyouko thoughtfully and realized he didn't even know her name. He carefully stood up and bowed to the girl. "I'm Crispin Daniels. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Tokiwa Kyouko!" Kyouko's cheerful demeanor returned as she jumped up and returned the bow. "Nice to meet you!"


	4. Chapter 4

_Note: Here's the next part. Our reluctant agent __finally _makes contact with Angel! Hope you enjoy. As always please feel free to leave a comment.  


**The Devil Inside**  
Chapter 4

Kyouko Tokiwa sighed as she entered the halls of Jindai High. Her digital camera was broken, her uniform was a mess, and she had missed homeroom. Her parents were sure to hear about this and when they found out what happened they would not be happy.

"What do I do now?" She thought on the verge of tears again. "At least Crispin-san got here in time." There had been a little excitement when he realized he'd forgotten his book bag. Fortunately they found it right where he dropped it. She smiled at the thought of the American.

"_Can I call you Cris?" Kyouko asked excitedly as they walked to school. _

"_Not if you expect me to answer." She laughed at his scowled response. _

"Kyouko!"

The brown-haired girl's thoughts were interrupted by someone calling her name. She looked up and saw her best friend, Kaname Chidori standing in front of her with hands on hips.

"There you are!" Kaname began. "Where have you been? I-" The blue-haired girl trailed off as she took in Kyouko's disheveled appearance. "Oh my god! Kyouko, what happened? Are you okay?" She watched in distress as Kyouko sniffed and tears started to form in her eyes.

"Oh, Kaname!" Kyouko cried and threw herself into her best friend's arms. Between sobs she told the taller girl everything that happened: about her camera, the bullies, and Crispin Daniels.

With much coaxing, Kaname guided the sobbing girl to a nearby restroom for privacy. There Kaname whispered soothing words and stroked her friend's hair as she listened to Kyouko's story. Always a passionate girl, Kaname felt a range of emotions: dismay, anger, alarm, sorrow, and finally relief.

After Kyouko's tears had run their course, Kaname rubbed the girl's back and handed her a paper towel from the nearby dispenser. "Here you go," Kaname watched her friend as she blew her nose and wiped her face and smiled. "Feeling better?"

Kyouko looked up and sniffed. She was still upset, but her world was no longer coming to an end. "Yeah," she whispered. "Thank you Kaname."

"You're welcome," Kaname hugged the petite girl. "I'm glad you're okay! I was really worried when you didn't show up by the first bell." After she was certain Kyouko really was feeling better, Kaname stepped back. "Alright! Let's see what the damage is." She surveyed Kyouko head to toe and frowned. Her uniform skirt was filthy and the blouse had a button missing. Her shoes were badly scuffed and her braids were frayed with loose hair sticking in every direction. "What a mess!"

"I'm sorry," Kyouko looked down miserably.

"Hey now!" Kaname chided the petite girl playfully and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "That's no way to talk! We'll have you fixed up in no time!"

"Really!" Kyouko looked up hopefully.

"Yup!" Kaname beamed. She placed her finger on her chin. "Now let's see. Hmm, the skirt's a loss, but I have spare in my locker. We'll have to sew on another button, and there's nothing we can do about the shoes. Hopefully no one will notice." She looked her friend in the eyes and smiled, "And a few minutes with a brush will fix your hair easy!"

"Kaname!" Kyouko exclaimed. She couldn't believe her friend could figure out what to do so fast! "You're amazing!" She wished her camera wasn't broken now.

"Hey, you got to learn these things when you live on your own!" Kaname smiled. "Now you wash up, and I'll go get that extra skirt and my sewing kit. We'll have you fixed up and back to class in no time!"

"But what about you, Kaname?" Kyouko asked quietly. "Won't you get in trouble for being gone so long? And the school's still going to tell my parents I missed the first two periods."

"Don't worry!" Kaname reassured her friend. "I was delivering some answer sheets for the placement exams so I have permission to be out of class. And I told the teacher you were coming late!" At her friend's stunned look she explained, "What good is it being Class Rep if I can't help out my best friend?"

"Oh, thank you Kaname!" Kyouko threw her arms around her blue-haired friend. "Thank You!"

"Hey, what are friends for?" Kaname returned the hug and patted her on the head. "Now lets get you fixed up!" She exclaimed and withdrew from the embrace. "After all," her brown eyes twinkled and she held up a finger, "you want to look good for your knight-in-shining armor right?"

"No." Kyouko's eyes widened and her face flushed red. "It's not like that?" She murmured.

"Yeah," Kaname agreed. She tilted her head in thought a moment and elaborated, "Actually it sounds like he could use a couple of coats of wax first before he could be a shiny anything!"

Kyouko giggled and Kaname smiled. "Go ahead and wash up, and I'll be right back okay." At her friend's nod she exited the bathroom and went to get the supplies she needed.

"Sheesh!" Crispin groused as he walked out of the main entrance of Jindai High later that afternoon. "Can they find a way to do things any stupider around here?" He shook his head in disgust, "Sagara'd fit right in here!"

Despite the altercation this morning, Crispin made it to Jindai High just in time. The students were filling their names in on their answer sheets when he arrived. Explaining that he'd fallen a sleep after studying three days straight, the exam administrator had handed him an answer sheet and exam, told him to take a seat and begin. Apparently the studying excuse also explained his pale complexion and bloodshot eyes to everyone's satisfaction.

Taking the exam was a little tricky. He was right handed, but obviously couldn't use it. Filling in the answer sheet with his off hand had been …interesting. Despite that, he'd finished the entire exam in half of the allotted time. (three hours) Then he had to wait another two hours to learn his results!

"Fucking waste of time!" Crispin decided.

He cursed as he studied his exam results in his right hand. "Ninety-third percentile? Is this some kinda joke!" He crumpled up the paper and tossed it aside. Of course, it didn't go very far since he'd used his injured hand. "The test was not THAT hard!" He shook his head in personal shame. "That fight must of took more out of me than I expected!"

"Hey, pick that up!" A female voice called from behind.

Crispin continued walking.

"Don't ignore me!" The voice was louder and the sound of pounding footsteps could be heard approaching. "What kind of student are you?"

Crispin stopped and slowly turned. Behind him was a panting girl glaring furiously at him. She was about his age with waist length blue hair. "It's her!" He blinked twice to make sure. "It's actually Angel!" He thought in wonder. " It's 'bout time I caught a lucky break!"

"Are you listening to me!" Kaname yelled. She was beyond mad. She'd been waiting for Kyouko after club practice when she saw this boy littering the campus. And now he had the gall to just stare at her when she called him on it. "You did that on purpose! And don't think you can get away with it! I'm a Class Representative, so you can't just brush me off!" She pointed at the discarded piece of paper in question. "Now what do you have to say about yourself?" She crossed her arms and waited.

"Gee, sorry Class Rep," Crispin drawled.

_"What a drama queen!"_ he thought darkly. _"I'm supposed to learn everything I can about this girl? Fuck! Oh well, orders are orders."_

Crispin smiled and held up his injured hand. "Ya see it slipped!" At her startled gasp he delivered the coup de grace. "And, well, my hand just hurt so much all I wanted was to get home and soak it in some ice."

"Oh my god!" Kaname hand covered her mouth. "I'm so sorry! But I called out to you, and when you didn't answer I-" She bowed deeply and missed the boy's triumphant smirk. "I'm so horrible! Please forgive me!"

"Hehehe." Crispin chortled to himself. "Hook, line, and sinker!" However, the Mithril agent resisted the urge to rub the blue-haired girl's face in it. Doing so could always back fire. And Kaname had already demonstrated a healthy capacity for anger.

"Kaname!" A voice called out. "Thanks for waiting!" Both teens turned and saw Kyouko running towards them waving frantically. She skidded to a halt in front of her friend. "What were you-" She noticed the new student and exclaimed happily, "Cris!"

Crispin scowled at the name and was about to correct her when he noticed her appearance. Aside from a few barely visible scrapes on her legs and the scuffed up shoes, he couldn't recognize any signs of the trouble this morning. He did notice a few differences however: the top right button on her uniform blouse was shinier than the others and her skirt was longer and looser on the hips.

Kyouko blushed under the scrutiny but said nothing. She fidgeted a bit as he continued to stare, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Ahem," Kaname coughed. She had a pretty good idea who the boy was now. When she had their attention she bowed once more. "You must be Daniels Crispin. Thank you for helping my friend this morning, and I'm sorry for earlier. I'm Chidori Kaname. It's very nice to meet you"

"Uh," Crispin shifted uncomfortably. "There's, uh, I mean don't thank me!" He waved his bandaged hand in front of them. "It's nice to meet you also, and I just did what I had to!" He glared at Kyouko, "And I thought we agreed to call it even!"

"We did," Kyouko giggled. "But we never said anything about Kaname!" Crispin's scowl deepened and she giggled again. "HEY," she asked in a dizzying change of subject, "How'd you do on your tests?"

"I'm not sure," Crispin eyes darted to the result paper laying on the ground ten feet away. "I haven't looked yet." He shrugged.

"Oh," Kaname saw his look toward the dropped paper, "allow me." Before he could protest, the blue-haired girl picked up the paper and handed it back to him. "Ninety-third percentile? That's very good!" She grinned sheepishly, "I happened to see the score."

"Wow, Cris!" Kyouko exclaimed, "That's so amazing!" She reached for her camera when she realized it was broken. She dropped her head with a sigh.

Crispin was about to correct her on his name when she sighed. "You don't sound very amazed," he observed.

"It'll be okay Kyouko," Kaname patted her friend on the shoulder. "We'll figure out something."

Kyouko shook off her depression and continued her earlier statement, "It's amazing you scored so high, Cris! So what class ranking did you get?"

"Meh," Crispin shrugged, "It wasn't that great a score. Actually it's pretty pathetic!" He continued on despite the girl's shocked expressions, "I think I'll demand a retest. I should've done a lot better." Noticing their faces he asked, "What?"

"Y-you!" Kaname pointed and stared at the American. "You think you did bad? I spent a month studying my butt off for those tests and I only got a ninety!"

"Yeah," Kyouko added, "and I got a ninety-four! There's no reason to be upset. Jindai High has one of the toughest academic programs in the prefecture."

Crispin stared incredulous at the petite girl. _"That's supposed to be hard?"_ He thought. _"What a laugh!"_

"Yeah," he reluctantly agreed, "I guess you're right." He decided not to mention he hadn't studied for the test at all.

"So," he changed the subject, "what do you need to figure out?" At the girl's blank looks he pointed at Kaname. "I mean whatever she was talking about."

"Oh," Kyouko said and lowered her gaze to the ground. "It's um…." She was unable to say what happened to her camera. She glanced at Kaname for help.

"Kyouko's camera was broken this morning," Kaname elaborated for her friend.

"Really," Crispin frowned. He recalled something about a camera from this morning.

_Can I please have my camera back?_

"That's too bad. Here," he held out his bandaged hand, "let me see it."

"Ummm," Kyouko regarded Crispin's bandaged hand skeptically. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Huh?" The AS engineer blinked and then chuckled. "Oh, don't worry about it. My hand's feeling a lot better now."

"Didn't he just say it was hurting really bad?" Kaname frowned at the thought but decided to not push the point, for now.

"Okay," Kyouko looked skeptical but complied with the boy's request.

"Hmmm," Crispin regarded the digital device carefully. "A PowerShot S50. Not bad." It was about 3"x5" with a matte black case and a slip-cover protected the auto-focusing lens. "Must've been open when it fell." He murmured. He tried the zoom feature and frowned when the lens didn't move in or out. He flipped it over and popped out the memory card. "Connectors aren't bent or scratched." He replaced the memory card and opened a few ports on the back. "All clean and clear of debris." He snapped it all shut and handed it back to an anxious Kyouko.

"So how is it?" Kyouko asked hesitantly.

"Aside from the scratches on the casing, all you need to do is replace the lens." Crispin announced.

Kaname frowned, "And just how hard is that going to be?"

"Well," he squirmed and hesitated. Seeing Kyouko's hopeful look and Kaname's dark glare he finished in a rush, "The auto-focus feature doesn't work so the entire component needs to be replaced. That's tricky and expensive."

"How much are we talking here?" Kaname asked. Kyouko just bit her lip and twisted her hands together.

"That's a nice piece of equipment," Crispin pointed out. He took a moment to total the amount in Yen. "I'd say at least 23,000."

"I understand," Kyouko sighed in disappointment. "Thanks anyway."

"Kyouko!" Kaname scolded, "Don't be that way. We can figure something out.

"Thanks Kaname," Kyouko shook her head. "But I don't have that kinda money. And there's no way my parents would give it to me." She sniffed and turned away to wipe her eyes

_"I don't believe this!_" With a sigh, Crispin reached around the sniffling girl and snatched the camera. At Kyouko's startled gasp he explained, "Let me hold on to it for a few days, okay? Maybe I can do something with it."

"What can you do?" Kaname asked. Kyouko nodded in agreement.

"Oh, I'm an AS-" He froze. He was about to say AS engineer. He coughed to cover his slip. "I used to work on these things." At their amazed looks he elaborated lamely, "It was a summer job."

"That's so cool!" Kyouko clasped her hands.

Kaname nodded and grinned, "Yeah! So what can you NOT do?"

"Urk!" Crispin stuttered. _"Damn, first day of contact and she's already suspicious!"_ He thought quickly.

"Keep my mouth shut!" He protested with a laugh. "No actually, I just like to build things." Crispin shrugged sheepishly and prayed the girl wouldn't ask anything else.

"I still think it's incredible," Kyouko exclaimed. "Can you really fix it?"

"I'm not promising anything," Crispin quickly explained. "But I'll see what I can do."

"Oh, thank you!" Kyouko launched herself at him and hugged his arm. "Thank you! Thank you sooo much!"

"ARGH!" Crispin yelled in pain. Kyouko had grabbed his right arm. "Get the hell off me!"

"I'm sorry!" Kyouko leapt back and bowed.

Crispin swore and cradled his right hand.

Kaname just laughed.

Some friendships have been born of stranger things.


	5. Chapter 5

****_Notes: I seem to have_ _a problem getting to properly format section breaks. It's annoying and I'm not sure how to solve the problem. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused._

_I love the dynamic among Kaname, Kyouko and my OC. Lot's of fun writing those parts. Enjoy!_

**The Devil Inside**

Chapter 5

Lance Corporal Crispin Daniels of Mithril fought to stay awake in his Jindai High classroom while the teacher droned on about Trigonometry. It had been three days since he made contact with _Angel_ and he was now enrolled in her school like a good little soldier. There was only one problem: he wasn't in Kaname Chidori's class!

"_Damn! I should've known this would happen." _Crispin thought bitterly and looked at his watch. He drummed his fingers on his textbook. He didn't bother with notes. He had mastered trig when he was twelve.

Class five-Year THREE!

Crispin scowled as he recalled the sign hanging over the classroom door. He had done so well on the placement tests the School Board had decided to place the young Mithril Agent as a third year student! Not a second year like he was supposed to be!

He'd learned his mistake the same day he'd met Kaname Chidori and Kyouko Tokiwa. When he told them his class and year assignment they were very impressed.

"_The teacher for Class Five is supposed to be really good," Kyouko had explained. _

_ "Yeah," Kaname agreed. "You're really lucky. Nakumura-Sensei is supposed to be one of the best! I hope I get assigned to her Class next year."_

_ "Wait! What do you mean NEXT year?" _

Crispin grimaced and looked out the window. _Class Four-Year TWO! _That was the class and year assignment of _Angel_ and her best friend. Keeping an eye on the blue-haired girl just got a lot more difficult.

On his first day, after he parted ways with the two girls, he tailed Kaname Chidori from Jindai High to her apartment. Fortunately, he had thought to change shirt tops and cover his head with a cap, or he probably would've been spotted. He had to admit, Kaname Chidori surprised him.

From her file he expected a spoiled princess living a life of luxury bankrolled by daddy. Instead, Crispin found a very independent girl determined to make her own way in life. She worked hard and wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. With her father's money she could have gone to any number of prestigious private schools but instead choose a public one. And while she lived in a nice big apartment. (bigger than his anyway) it wasn't extravagant or ostentatious.

She was also very cognizant of the dangers faced by an attractive young girl living alone. She was aware of her surroundings at all times. And at night she made a point of walking in well lit and populated areas. It'd take a lot of work for someone to kidnap Kaname Chidori. Unfortunately, that also made protecting her more difficult.

For the past three days he'd been following the girl to and from school. Each time he wore a different outfit and even with that precaution he had to be careful. At night, when Kaname retired to her apartment, he paced thru the neighborhood to determine the best paths to approach her apartment and the best escape routes in case of an emergency. He found three different buildings, one unused parking lot and a park that could serve as a safe house and LP/OP for the SRT and as a FARP for a fully equipped M9.

Crispin fought back a yawn. It was exhausting work, but it had to be done. Without detailed information on the subject and the surrounding terrain even a Mithril SRT would fail spectacularly. "_Now I know why the Old Man sent me." _He thought sourly. "_Nobody else wanted the fucking job!"_

"Mr. Daniels!" The teacher's stern voice interrupted his musings.

"Yeah," Crispin looked up.

"Since we're obviously boring you, could you please tell the class the answer to question six?"

Crispin ignored the muffled laughter of his classmates as he sat up in his desk and peered at the blackboard. When he saw the question he smirked. "Uh, it's sixty-two degrees." His smirk widened. "Or did you want the answer in radials?"

The blonde Nakumura-Sensei blinked and glanced back at the board. "No that won't be necessary, Mr. Daniels. Glad to see you're paying attention." The class gaped at him a moment and reluctantly turned their attention to the front.

Crispin leaned back in his chair. "A_t least try to make it hard when you want to embarrass me!" _He thought smugly. Hopefully no one would bother him anymore today.

Later that day, when classes were finished, Crispin made his way to the bleachers that overlooked the school's athletic field. The girl's softball club had practice today and he had asked Kaname and Kyouko to meet him here afterwards.

He sat down on the nearly-empty bleachers (the girl's softball club wasn't the only one practicing today) and pulled out a copy of his favorite book: "_A Soldier's Guide to Cursing," by Melissa Mao._ Book in hand, Crispin settled himself for a long wait. Sports didn't interest the AS engineer. "_Although, I dig those uniforms!" _He thought with a grin.

Soon the girl's softball team moved out onto the diamond and began their practice.

"Hey, you there." A shadow fell over Crispin as he half-read and half-watched the girls warm up. "You're Daniels from 3-5 right?"

"What if I am?" Crispin looked up to see two boys his age standing over him. They were a most unlikely pair. One was gangly and had bulging eyes. The other was a long-haired bishonen type. Unsurprisingly, they wore the Jindai High boy's uniform and both looked to be seniors like himself.

"I'm Toshi from Class 3-2," the bishonen pointed to himself and then his companion. "And this Nokigawa from 3-4." The gangly boy bowed slightly

"That's nice, but why tell me?" Crispin sat up and regarded the two. They weren't here to pick a fight. That he was sure about.

"You seem to be quite friendly with Tokiwa and Chidori of Class 2-4." Toshi began.

"I talk to them. They talk to me." Crispin shrugged and turned back to his book. "Why should I care either way?"

"Well, don't think it'll improve your chances any." Nokigawa spoke this time. "Chidori won't go out with you even if you're nice to her friend."

Crispin snapped his gaze back to the two seniors. "You're joking right?" At their negative shakes Crispin did the only thing he could think of. He laughed.

"HAHAHA!" He dropped his book in his mirth. "You think-" He guffawed at their stunned expression and laughed even harder. After a while he slowly gained control of himself and shook his head. "If you could've seen your faces just now." He chuckled at the image.

Toshi chuckled as well. "This just makes things easier then." At the mechanic's confused look he explained, "Everyone likes Chidori, but she can be a bit of a hand full." He shrugged at the last part and Nokigawa's head bobbed in agreement.

"What are you trying to say?" Crispin had the impression he was missing something.

"We're just trying to help you out." Nokigawa said. "She may be one of the most popular girls in school, but you definitely don't want her as a girlfriend!" This time it was Toshi who's head bobbed in agreement.

"That's great to know," Crispin was really confused now, "I think."

"Glad to hear it, but here's the best part!" Toshi grinned and held up a finger, "You get to continue Jindai High's proudest tradition!"

Crispin sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Just say whatever the hell you gotta say!"

"You must test your courage!" Toshi explained. "Sneak into her apartment!"

"And procure her silken fleece!" Nokigawa finished.

"Huh?" Crispin's confusion deepened and he looked between the two.

"Panties," Toshi said slowly as if he were talking to a child. "You're supposed to steal her panties."

"Like hell I am!" Crispin shot to his feet and grabbed the bishonen by the collar. "Is that how you fuckers get your kicks? Stealing panties!" He started shaking the long-haired boy hard enough to rattle his teeth.

'Take it easy!" Nokigawa tried to pry the American off his companion. "It's no big deal! She's so high and mighty! It's not like she doesn't deserve it!"

"Deserve it!" Crispin voice turned cold and fury washed through him. Keeping his grip on the bishonen, he faced the gangly boy. "She deserves it?" He whispered. His right hand shot out and gripped the boy's collar in a vice-like grip. He felt no pain in his hand. "You know what I think?" He dragged both boys to eye level. His lips curled cruelly. "I think you deserve to die."

With a disturbing gleam in his eyes, he addressed the few gawking spectators still on the bleachers. "I'd leave if I were you." At the cold fury in the his voice they took his advice and ran. With a vicious laugh Crispin turned and dragged Toshi and Nokigawa behind the bleachers.

"No! Please! We're sorry!" Both boys started desperately pleading.

"Shut up!" Crispin threw them against the supports of the bleachers. They tried to run, but he grabbed them again and slammed them back into the supports. "You think you can do that to my sister and live!"

"S-sister?" Toshi babbled in terror, "W-we don't know your sister!"

"SHUT UP!" Crispin screamed. They blanched and clung to each other. Crispin laughed at the sight and both boy's shuddered. "Allie begged and pleaded, but that didn't stop you." He grinned at their fear-stricken faces. "And it won't stop me." His clawed hands reached for the two.

Toshi and Nokigawa whimpered.

"Argh!" Crispin suddenly clutched his head. There was a buzzing sound in his head and it kept growing and growing until he couldn't stand it anymore. He fell to his knees and clenched his teeth. His blood felt like it was boiling!

At their tormentor's cry of pain both boys shared a look and bolted.

"Stop!" Crispin writhed on the ground in agony. "Get the fuck out of my head!"

_Judas-1_ a voice called from far away.

The AS engineer clawed at the ground and bit back a scream. "Go away!" He whimpered.

_Judas-1 this is Golden Goose, due you copy? Over! _

Crispin's eyes snapped open. "It's," he exhaled through his nose, "fuckin-Russky!" With a groan he rolled onto his stomach, the earth cooled his fevered skin, and tried to concentrate. "What'd you do to me?"

_Judas-1 this is Golden Goose, due you copy?_

_G-Golden-n G-Goose, _Crispin wheezed in pain as he tried to focus his thoughts. _Th-this is Ju-Judas-1. Over!_

_Judas-1 this is Golden Goose. What is your status? Over._

Slowly, between gasps of pain, Crispin reported his condition. What he'd learned. About the Whispered. About Kaname, her habits and environment. Strangely, as he 'talked' the pain seemed to lessen. It never went away completely, but it wasn't as intense as before.

When his report was done, the lance corporal received a final 'message' from the far-off voice.

_Judas-1. An SRT will deploy shortly. ETA ninety-eight hours. Secure site bravo as LP/OP and site delta as FARP. Compile all relevant data for the NCOIC. Over._

_Roger Golden Goose. Over. _Crispin grunted as the edges of his vision began to darken.

_Golden Goose. Out._

Suddenly the voice, and pain, was gone. Crispin wilted in relief. He was exhausted and drenched in sweat. As he tried to recover his strength, one thought rolled thru the Lance Corporal's mind…

"_Highly uncomfortable my ass!"_

___Later,_

"Cris!" A feminine voiced called desperately. "Are you alright? Cris wake up!"

"Go away," Crispin moaned and tried to roll over. He was prevented by a pair of hands on his shoulders.

"Hey, Crispin," Another voice asked worriedly. "Can you hear me?"

Crispin Daniels opened his eyes and saw two shadowed faces hovering over him. "What?" he muttered. "Where am I?"

Kaname and Kyouko exchanged looks of relief.

"You're behind the athletic field's bleachers." Kaname explained. "We found you passed out on the ground after practice."

"We were so worried Cris!" Kyouko was on the verge of tears. "What happened?" She had his head on her lap and ran a hand through his damp hair.

"I'd-" Crispin ran his lip over his chapped lips. "I'd rather not say."

"We saw a bunch of students take off from here an hour ago." Kyouko explained. "We didn't know what to think."

"It was that third year Toshi from class two wasn't it?" Kaname's eyes narrowed. "I saw him and his friend running away from here a couple minutes after everyone else." She stood up. "Wait till I get my hands on him!"

"No!" Crispin sat up, or tried to, and sank back to the ground when he became dizzy.

"Cris!" Kyouko said. "Don't try to move. You'll hurt your self."

"Argh!" He groaned in frustration. "Kaname, don't do anything. It's-" He stopped and both girls looked at him questioningly. He couldn't say what really happened, but he hated lying too. _Damn! _He grit his teeth and decided on his course of action. "It's, it's kinda embarrassing." At her dubious look he added, "Please!"

"Oh, why me?" Kaname sighed. She glanced at Kyouko who was clearly torn and reluctantly agreed. "Okay, I won't say anything." At the boy's grin she added, "This time!"

"Thanks," Crispin relaxed, "I owe you one." He laid on the ground for several minutes before he asked, "Uh, you think I can get up now?"

"Aww, come on!" He had to beg before the two girls, reluctantly, agreed. Crispin slowly got his feet under him and carefully stood. He swayed a moment but quickly gained his balance.

"I'm okay." He held up his hand to ward off their protests. "No really! See?" He took a tentative step, and when he didn't fall over, he took another. "All better now!"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kyouko asked. She and Kaname followed him to the front of the bleachers.

"I'm fine really!" Crispin waved away the girl's concern and retrieved his book bag. He opened it up and frowned. "Where's my book?"

"Is this it?" Kaname picked up a book that was laying on the ground. She eyed the title with a frown, "It's yours alright." She glared at him reprovingly.

"Oh, what is it Kaname?" Kyouko moved to get a look.

"Hey," Crispin snatched the book out of Kaname's hand before the bespectacled girl could see the title. "That's private!"

"Come on Cris!" Kyouko's curiosity was peaked now. "You can tell me!" She pleaded with the boy.

"No!" Crispin snapped. He was irritated now. "And stop calling me that!"

"Oh, please," Kaname was exasperated, "both of you give it a rest!" She turned to her best friend, "It's '_A Guide to Cursing'_ or something." Her tone critical, "Pretty disgusting if you ask me." She glared at the older boy.

Kyouko nodded.

"Hey!" He protested. "You think a witty repartee as polished and sophisticated as mine comes easy?" At their reproachful looks Crispin shoved the book back into his bag, "Fine! Like I give a shit!"

WHACK! Kaname's book bag slammed into his head.

"OW!" Crispin rubbed the top of his head, "Watch it. I'm injured here!" This wasn't helping his exhaustion any.

"Don't you have any manners?" Kaname berated the Mithril agent. "Talking like that! And in front of two ladies too!" She planted her hands on her hips. "You can't talk like that in front of us and expect to get away with it!"

Kyouko nodded in agreement.

"Wha-" The AS engineer stared incredulously at the pair. "_What is she getting all high and mighty about?" _He wondered."So you bash my head in!" He yelled. "What about being all concerned and draping yourself all over me?"

WHACK! "That was for being lewd!"

"What the fuck-!"

WHACK!

"Stop that!" Crispin snapped at the blue-haired girl. "That's hurts!"

"Hmph!" Kaname sniffed and folded her arms. "How do you think we feel listening to you talk like that?" She turned to her friend, "Isn't that right Kyouko?"

Kyouko hesitated a moment and nodded, "Yeah."

Crispin scowled at both girls. "Then why don't you stop bothering me!"

Kyouko gasped and Kaname's lips thinned, "Fine." The blue-haired girl spun on her heel and stalked away. "Come on Kyouko! We've got better things to do than talking to this jerk!"

Kyouko hesitated and followed after her friend. She cast a sad look at Crispin as she walked away.

Crispin gaped at the two girls. He stood paralyzed and watched them quickly cross the athletic field and exit the school's gate. He picked up his bag and noticed his book was about to fall out. When he tried to repack it the crinkle of paper made him freeze.

"Shit! I AM a jerk!" Crispin swore and hurried after them.

Kyouko followed her fuming friend miserably. While she agreed with the blue-haired girl, she still felt a cold knot in her stomach.

S_top bothering me!_

_Fine! Come on Kyouko!_

"Do you think we did the right thing, Kana?" Kyouko asked.

"Of course we did!" Kaname whirled on her friend. "I tired of listening to his garbage!" The brown-haired girl winced and Kaname calmed slightly, "Come on, Kyouko. I don't have to put up with that. YOU don't have to put up with that!"

"I guess," Kyouko sighed. "But we were looking through his things." She bit her lip and asked, "Don't you think friends should respect each others privacy?"

"Yes, I do Kyouko," Kaname confessed. "But friends should also show more respect-."

"Wait!" A male voice interrupted Kaname. They turned to see Crispin running to catch up to them. Kaname scowled and whirled away when Kyouko grabbed her hand.

"Let's wait, okay?" Kyouko pleaded.

"Okay." Kaname sighed in agreement.

The older boy quickly caught up and rested his hands on his knees. "Geez!" Crispin wiped his brow and grinned at the two girls. "You guys move pretty fast when you're mad!" He faltered at their quiet stares.

"Right." He coughed and tried again. "Look, I know I'm a jerk, and I know when I've fu- messed up." He fidgeted and continued, "I told you I didn't know how to keep my mouth shut!" This was harder than he'd expected.

"Yeah," Kyouko smiled slightly. "You did."

Crispin returned the smile. "See, what I'm trying to say is… I mean …That is …." He struggled to find the words and did what came naturally, "God Fucking Damn!" Shocked at the outburst, he slapped a hand over his mouth. "I'm sorry!" He mumbled thru his hand. "I'm really really sorry!" Crispin bowed his head and braced for impact.

"HaHaHa!" Peals of laughter made Crispin looked up in shock. Both girls struggling to stand upright in their merriment.

"Oh my god!" Kaname fell against Kyouko. "Did you see that look on his face?" Her shoulders shook with mirth.

"Yes!" Kyouko giggled. "And when his forehead scrunched up-"

"It was SO CUTE!" Both girls burst out in another fit of giggles.

"Bah!" Crispin sulked. "I'm glad you find it so amusing!" He turned away with hunched shoulders.

"Awww, don't be like that Cris!" Kyouko said fighting back her giggles.

"Yeah, you're macho, tough-guy image is still intact with us!" Kaname snickered.

At their words both girls collapsed into another fit of laughter.

"Are you done now?" Crispin glared. "'Cause if you're not I've got better things to do."

"No! It's okay!" Kaname waved her hand reassuringly. "We're done now, really!" Both of them started snickering again. Eventually they controlled their laughter and bowed to the boy.

"Thank you very much!" They said in unison.

"Uh sure." Crispin stared at the two expecting them to sprout extra heads. "So what now?" He asked intelligently.

"We," Kaname indicated herself and Kyouko, "are going shopping!" She then pointed at Crispin, "And you are going to help us with our Biology report that's due tomorrow!" Kyouko nodded in agreement.

"When the hell was this decided?" Crispin protested. "I never agreed to-"

"Hold it!" Kaname cut him off with her upraised hand. "What did I say earlier? And a gentleman should never disagree with a lady! Right?" She drew the last word out in warning.

"You should know I'm no gentleman," Crispin scratched his head. At both girl's glare he relented. "Okay! I get it!" At their triumphant smirks, he looked upwards beseechingly. _Why me?_

"Good, now that's settled." Kaname nodded toward her best friend, "ready to go?"

"Ready!" Kyouko chirped.

"Wait!" Both girls halted at Crispin's protest. "I kinda forgot about this during all the excitement." He dug into his bag and withdrew a plain-white paper bag. He handed it to Kyouko. "Here ya go."

"What is it?" The girl looked at the bag dubiously. At Crispin's prompting she opened it and was shocked at what she found. "A camera!" She exclaimed. "But it's not mine." She looked quizzically at the boy. The camera in her hand was half the size of her old one. It easily fit in the palm of her hand, and the outer casing was bright pink, not black.

"Your PowerShot was …well shot." The AS engineer shrugged apologetically. "I couldn't really do anything with it. So," he trailed off in embarrassment. "So, I sorta…built you a new one." He grinned sheepishly.

"Built one!" Kaname was wide-eyed in amazement.

"Crispin, I can't accept this." Kyouko reddened in embarrassment at the gift and held out the camera. "It must've cost a fortune."

"No, it didn't cost me a dime!" Crispin held up his hands and stepped away from the proffered camera. "I, uh, a few guys I used to work for hooked me up with some spare components." He continued to bluff, "And they helped me put it together too!"

It was technically true. While he'd never worked with them, Crispin had talked shop with several owners and repairers of personal electronics. It was a good cover while following Kaname around the city. He managed to procure some high grade materials to build the camera Kyouko now held at zero cost. Of course, he put it all together.

"Really?" Kyouko asked in amazement. At his vigorous nod she smiled and threw her arms around the boy. "Thank you, Cris! Thank you so much!"

"ARGH!" Crispin yelled in pain. Kyouko had grabbed his right arm again. "Get the hell off me! And stop calling me that!"

"I'm sorry!" Kyouko bowed in apology

Kaname sighed.

_A/N: As always please feel free to leave a review!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes: Now Sousuke enters the story. This part follows the first episode pretty closely. Assume anything not mentioned happens pretty much the same as it does in ep. 1. See if you can spot the Star Wars reference. Heh. And as always feel free to leave any comments!  
**

**The Devil Inside**

Chapter 6

The Soviet province of Kahbarovsk

Sgt. Sousuke Sagara eased his M9 through a copse of trees overlooking a snow-covered country road. While the ECS rendered the Mithril sergeant's Arm Slave nearly invisible, it was not infallible. Therefore he took great care to guide his AS through the treacherous ground and conceal any signs of passage. This deep in enemy territory a mistake could be fatal.

_The best equipment in the world means nothing if you're dead. _

Those words of advice had saved the sergeant from situations that ended the lives of men twice his age and experience.

Sousuke settled the Arm Slave amongst the trees and prepared for the most difficult task of all: waiting. The plan was simple. He and his teammates were to lay in wait for the target. An operative of Mithril's Intelligence Division had located the target and would perform the actual extraction. It was his team's job to make sure the informant succeeded.

The young Sgt. frowned as he recalled his CO's final words before he left the de Danaan:

"_Sgt. a word, please?" Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin had called out to him as he walked toward his M9. _

_When Sousuke stood before the officer, Kalinin said, "I want you to be extra alert on this mission Sagara." At Sousuke's affirmative nod, the Russian placed a hand on his shoulder and stared him in the eye. "This mission is vitally important Sgt. Do you understand?" His hand squeezed Sousuke's shoulder and then it was gone. _

Sousuke's attention was wrenched to the present as the M9's threat indicators blared to life. The ground shook from an explosion and Sousuke's eyes quickly targeted a Soviet Mi-24 'Hind' swooping over a wrecked and burning military transport.

Sousuke broke radio silence when the Hind's chain gun began firing on the transport's surviving passenger. "This Urzu-7. I'm moving in!"

_Tuatha de Danaan; thirty-six hours later. _

Sousuke's hand froze as he reached for the door leading to the main infirmary. An hour ago he received new orders. He was to go undercover at a Japanese high-school called Jindai High and protect one of its students. He should be resting. He and his teammates would deploy early in the morning. Yet sleep eluded him and Sousuke found himself here. Sousuke finally opened the door and stepped into the infirmary. He was surprised to see Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin talking to the Chief Medical Officer. They were in deep discussion in the black woman's office. Sousuke turned and walked to the only occupied bed in the infirmary. In it was a pale girl with long-red hair. She was unconscious.

_"W-what are you going to do with me?" _He frowned as he recalled the girl's frightened words.

"Can I help you sergeant?" The on-duty medic's question snapped Sousuke from his musings. "Has she regained consciousness?" Sousuke asked. Straps lay across the girl's torso and legs and secured her to the bed frame.

The medic hesitated and then nodded. "Yes, she did, but we had to sedate her." The medic regarded the girl, "She kept screaming and wouldn't calm down. She tried to bite her own fingers off!" At Sousuke's disbelieving stare he declared defensively, "It's true!"

"Is there something you needed Sgt?" Kalinin's voice interrupted the two.

"No sir," Sousuke turned on his heel to face the Lt. Cmdr. "I was just leaving." He saluted the Russian Officer and strode out of the infirmary.

Kalinin watched the young sergeant exit the medical bay and returned his attention the Chief Medical Officer, "I'll expect a full report on my desk by 1300 hours tomorrow. I won't keep the captain waiting any longer."

"Of course," the medical officer agreed and held up a CD-Rom, "and I'll see what I can make of this also."

"Thank you." Kalinin bowed his head briefly and left the infirmary.

Back in his office, Kalinin sank into his chair with a groan. He pulled out a shot glass and a half-filled bottle of Vodka and helped himself to a drink. Warmed by the alcohol, Kalinin picked up the preliminary medical report on the girl SRT-Urzu had just brought in.

He knew the basics of bio-chemistry and biology, but he found the results completely baffling. Unfortunately, the Chief Medical Officer had no better answers, for the moment at least. However, with the CD-Rom retrieved by SRT-Urzu he was confident a break-through would be made.

"_Ironic," _he mused, "_the Captain is one of the Whispered and yet we understand so little about them." _The Marine officer suddenly wished Cpl. Daniels was still on board. He had a feeling the temperamental engineer might be able to make sense of this data.

Kalinin was pragmatic enough to realize that 'Black Technology' was very dangerous, perhaps more so than anyone realized, and without understanding its secrets or that of the Whispered, Mithril was only delaying the inevitable.

"_And that is unacceptable!"_ He thought fiercely.

Kalinin sighed as he stared at the medical photo taken of the young girl currently sedated in the infirmary. The image made the veteran soldier's blood run cold. He looked upon the eyes of a lost and tortured soul struggling to end its torment.

With a look of distaste, he placed the photo (and its attached report) in the master file he'd compiled on the Whispered. Across the top the letters –TOP SECRET- were stamped in red ink. It was the same file he'd shown Cpl. Daniels twelve days ago. Within, were a half-dozen photos and files that showed the same thing as the latest one. Lost and tortured souls, their minds, and sometimes bodies, destroyed by those seeking to unearth the secrets of the Whispered. And as he'd explained to the young lance corporal in the brig, most of them were young women.

"_Dirty business," _he thought darkly and downed another shot of Vodka. "_All these years and it never changes." _

* * *

"So what's this about some kind of back up?" Sgt. Kurz Weber inquired of his team leader the next morning. The rumble of the Six-Pack's engine made it difficult to be overheard by the flight crew. So the blonde AS pilot figured it was safe enough to broach the subject.

"I can't really say," Melissa Mao confessed. She flicked her eyes to the pilot's compartment. Mithril operated on a strict need-to-know basis, so it was necessary to insure not even their fellow crew mates knew the details of their mission.

Satisfied they wouldn't be overheard she turned to Kurz and Sousuke, "You know as much as I do." She regarded her orders once more, "Judas-1 is to make contact with us within twenty-four hours of our arrival at the LP/OP. He's supposed to provide a complete topographical analysis of _Angel's_ neighborhood and a medical report on her WBT status." She looked back up and met the eyes of her teammates, "He's also supposed to give us a run down on the local's temperaments and disposition regarding outsiders like us."

"Please," Kurz scoffed. "I grew up there! I don't need some damn spook telling me what it's like living in Japan." Melissa just shrugged.

"Still," Sousuke finally said, "It would be wise to have the most up to date intelligence. Mistakes are not an option."

"Oooh," Melissa said, "Sousuke's fired up!" When she got no response she tried again, "You know Tessa was worried about you?"

"Capt. Testarossa? Well, it is an important mission."

"That's not what I meant." Melissa exchanged a grin with Kurz.

Sousuke stared at the two in confusion as the Six-Pack's blades extended and the helo lifted off from the Tuatha de Danaan's flight deck and set a course for Tokyo, Japan.

_13 Hours later._

"God damn," Crispin Daniels yawned as he waited in line at the gate to Jindai High. "I'm wiped out!" Last night he had secured an apartment across the street from Kaname's as an LP/OP for the incoming Special Response Team. Of course, he'd had to pay the deposit AND the first months rent out of his own pocket. "Old Man better pay me back!"

"What was that Mr. Daniels?" Eri Kagurazaka, the brown-haired teacher for Class 2-4, stood before him arms akimbo.

"Looking good Sensei!" Crispin whistled in appreciation as he handed her his book bag. Several students in line snickered.

"Th-that's no way to talk to a teacher, Mr. Daniels!" Kagurazaka-Sensei sputtered. "You may not be one of my students, but don't think I won't give you detention!" She snatched the proffered bag from the young man's hand.

"Aww, don't be that way!" Crispin smiled, "I'm a healthy young man, who's paying a nice-looking young woman a compliment. Nothing more than that." He prepared the final blow, "Or is there?" He asked innocently.

The teacher flushed in embarrassment, and the other students in line started laughing and cat-calling. She thrust the bag back into his hands without looking at it and scolded, "Enough of that, Mr. Daniels, or you'll find yourself in detention! Now get to class!"

"Yes ma'am!" Crispin grabbed it and walked toward the main entrance with a triumphant smirk on his face. "_Sucker!" _It would be a cold day in hell before he let some high-school teacher paw thru his things.

The student's continued to cat-call and laugh until Kagurazaka-Sensei finally yelled. "That's enough! Or would all of you like detention instead?"

The noise stopped.

"Are you satisfied with yourself?" Kaname interrupted the mechanic's self-satisfied musings.

"Yep!" Crispin declared. "Best way to start the day." At Kaname's disgusted sigh he scowled, "Hey what's your problem?" Suddenly, he smirked, "I get it. Still recovering from your hot date?"

"Oh please," the blue-haired girl rolled her eyes. "You'd make a better date than that loser!"

"Ouch," Crispin winced. "That bad huh?" At her nod he shrugged, "Well that's nice, but I gotta get to class." This time he rolled his eyes, "Nakumura-Sensei's threatened my life if I'm late just once this week."

Kaname laughed, "Well if you actually applied yourself, maybe she'd give you a break."

"Bah, that's crazy talk!" Crispin called over his shoulder as he entered the school.

"What the?" Across the street in his cloaked M9, Kurz Weber stared at his view-screen. He only got a look at the back of guy talking to _Angel,_ but there was something about him….

"What's the problem?" Melissa Mao's voice cracked over the tac-net.

"No problem," Kurz answered, "just something about a student talking to _Angel _that_ s_eemed kinda strange."

"Well, keep your eyes open." Melissa cautioned. "Can't be too careful."

"Roger that." Kurz answered when Sousuke was suddenly accosted by the teacher.

"Kyouko!" Kaname yelled at her friend. "How can you be so blasé about everything! I hate guys like that and you know it!"

"Well, he asked me too." Kyouko shrugged.

"I don't believe this," Kaname moaned. "Would you sell me to a foreign country if somebody asked you too? I really curious now!" Friend or not she was ready to strangle the girl.

"You're in big trouble mister!"

Kaname trailed off as she saw a boy with spiky black hair and a scar on his chin get yelled at by her teacher for bringing a model gun to school. "Some kinda Military maniac, how sick is that?"

"Really," Kyouko turned and looked. "Cool!" She whipped out her new camera and took a picture. At her friend's sigh she turned and took her picture as well.

"Oh," Kaname groaned, "I'm going inside."

Once the girls were in class, Kaname had a profound sense of foreboding.

"Kaname! Did you hear!" Kyouko asked her suddenly. Apparently she forgot Kaname was mad at her. "A new transfer student is being assigned to our class!"

"What?" Kaname looked up. Before she could inquire further the classroom door opened and their teacher entered.

"Attention class!" Once they'd quieted she continued. "I'd like to introduce a new student today!"

Kaname felt her stomach tighten as Kyouko mouthed the letters: M-A-N-I-A-C, and made a shooting gesture with her finger.

"I am Sgt. Sagara Sousuke!" The boy with the black spiky hair and scar announced his name and stood rigidly before the class.

One word ran through Kaname's mind: _NOOOOOOO!_

_That afternoon.  
_

"I don't believe him!" Kaname slammed her locker with a yell. She and Kyouko we're getting changed for softball practice. "He's been following me all day!" She started tying her shoes violently, "And where the hell is Crispin? He didn't even show his face at lunch! The one time the jerk would actually be useful and he's not around!"

"Don't be like that, Kaname." Kyouko said in defense of the American.

Oblivious, Kaname continued her rant. "And that Sagara! I catch him staring at me and you know what he does? He just looks away like it was some kind of coincidence."

"Well, maybe he thinks your pretty?"

"Thanks Kyouko," Kaname groaned, "It's nice to know you're so worried about me when I have a stalker!" She punched her locker at the last.

"Gee," Kyouko snickered, "you've been talking about Sousuke all day. Do you like him or something?"

"What? Oh, please!" Kaname laughed. "Me like that bozo? HA!" She stopped as a thought occurred to her. "Tell me Kyouko," she drawled, "what about Crispin?"

"What do y-you mean?" Kyouko stuttered and hid her face behind her glove.

"Well, you're always talking about him." Kaname leaned over her friend with a smile, "maybe you like him or something?"

"WOW!" The other girls suddenly exclaimed. "Is that true Kyouko!" They gathered around the bespectacled girl, "That American, the third year in class five?" They asked for details, "Have you kissed him yet?"

Kyouko stuttered and blushed bright red from the questions.

SWISSSH!

All eyes turned toward the locker room door as the curtain was swept aside and revealed one Sousuke Sagara.

"IEEEEEEE!"

"What in the hell is that?" Crispin paused midway across the athletic field. He was going to meet Kyouko and Kaname at the bleachers after practice again. They had a kanji test tomorrow and wanted help studying for it. "Whatever," he finally shrugged. "Like I give a shit!"

"GET HIM!"

He stopped again and turned back toward the main building. "That sounded like a bunch of violent girls." He pondered what to do when he felt a cold wind pass though him "I feel a presence, something I haven't felt-."He repressed a shudder.

"LOOK OUT!" A voice called out in warning.

WHAM!

A soccer ball slammed into the side of the mechanic's face and knocked Crispin on his back. He moaned and tried to sit up, but the world started spinning. He plopped back to the ground and starred at the clouds above instead.

He frowned as a strange thought occurred to him: "That cloud looks like a RK-92."

* * *

"I don't care! He had it coming!" A shrill voice roused Crispin from his slumber.

"What the hell?" Crispin groaned and nearly fell off the bleachers. "Ack!" He quickly caught himself and slowly eased upright.

"Cris!" A girl's voice cried out. The sound of approaching footsteps could be heard. "Are you all right?" The voice breathed and hands gently probed at his face.

"Ah!" He hissed in pain and batted the hands away. "I'm okay!" he looked up and saw Kyouko standing before him looking relieved. "Just don't do that, okay?" He looked around and missed Kyouko's hurt look. Instead, he noticed Kaname standing nearby looking very indignant.

"You disturbed my nap." Was all he said.

"Excuse me!" Kaname's nostrils flared in anger and she turned on the American. "But if you think-what happened to your face?" Her anger died and was replaced by confusion when she looked at him.

"This old thing?" He gestured to the bright red checkered-pattern mark on his left cheek, "It's what happens when you get smacked in the face by a soccer ball traveling at high-velocity." He explained the last as if talking to a child.

Kyouko gasped. "Are you sure you're alright? Do need some ice?"

Kaname also looked concerned. "How'd you get hit by a soccer ball?" The soccer club practiced on the other side of athletic field.

"No, I'm fine." Crispin directed his first comment to Kyouko. "I was distracted and got hit on the way over. Some guys from the soccer club helped me to the bleachers" The second was for Kaname's benefit. "You happy now? Can we go? I'm hungry. I missed lunch."

"That reminds me," Kaname remembered her earlier anger at the boy. "Where were you? You were supposed to meet us at lunch, and I had to put up with that stalker staring at me the whole time!"

"He's not a stalker Kaname, he's just shy!" Kyouko tried to calm her friend down.

"SHY? He wasn't shy about grabbing me in the changing room!" The blue-haired girl turned on Kyouko in anger, "Would you stop trying to defend him!"

"I'm not trying to defend him," Kyouko said reproachfully. "I just think-"

"SHUT-UP!" Crispin leapt up. "Both of you shut up!" He panted in exasperation as the two girls stared at him. "Look," he finally said, "if I kill this guy you keep babbling about, will you PLEASE just shut up?"

"Yes," Kaname smiled for the first time since Sousuke Sagara entered her life. "I knew you were good for something." She patted him on the shoulder. "Big strong guy like you ought to have no problems with that military freak!"

"Glad to be of service," Crispin drawled. He looked at Kyouko who frowned and turned away. With a sigh, he took Kaname's hand off his shoulder. "As fun as it sounds, I'm going to have decline."

"Yay, Cris!" Kyouko clapped happily. "I'm so proud of you."

Crispin turned to tell the girl not to call him that when Kaname grabbed him by the shoulders. "No, you have to! You're my only hope!" Her eyes were desperate and she was practically in tears, "The freak is ruining my life! I can't take it anymore! He's probably watching us right now!" She shuddered at the thought.

"Kaname, you hand cuffed him to a chair." Kyouko pointed out. She repressed a frown at the sight of her friend clinging to Crispin, "I don't think he can follow you anywhere."

"Yeah, you're right Kyouko," the blue-haired girl let go of Crispin's shoulders with a sigh. "I'm sorry I yelled at you." She turned to Crispin, "And you don't have to kill him. I didn't mean to imply that you're some kind of thug." She bowed to both of them.

"Uh, no problem," Crispin shrugged and chuckled, "but you're not the first to think so." The girls chuckled too and he asked, "So who is this guy that's got you so worked up anyway?"

"Argh!" Kaname growled at the thought of her stalker and spun away. "I don't want to talk about it!"

"Oh don't mind her," Kyouko grinned. "She's just upset that the new transfer student in our class, Sagara Sousuke, hasn't asked her out yet." She laughed at the end.

"I AM NOT!" Kaname whirled back in protest.

Thud.

Crispin fall back onto the bleachers. He starred ahead blankly. After several moments without moving, Kyouko waved a hand in front of his face. He didn't blink. Suddenly he grabbed her hand and asked desperately, "What did you say? His name? What was this new student's name?"

Kyouko blushed and stammered at the boy's intense look. "Uh, it's S-Sagara Sousuke." She repressed a sigh when he dropped her hand.

"I have to go." Crispin said in a monotone. He mechanically gathered his things and brushed off their protests. "Sorry. Something just came up." He quietly left the school.

As he walked away, one word ran through Crispin's mind. _NOOOOOOO!_

About two hours later, Sgt. Major. Melissa Mao adjusted the reception on the directional microphone pointed at _Angel's_ apartment. She frowned as static crackled through her headset. She made another adjustment when clanking could be herd behind her. She ignored it and continued fine-tuning the microphone until the clanking was accompanied by a grunt.

"Will you knock it off!" She spun and yelled at the source of the noise. She blinked at the sight of Sousuke hand-cuffed to a folding chair. "What is this?"

"It's a folding chair, Sgt. Major."

"I know what is!" Melissa snapped. "What I want to know is what you're doing hand-cuffed to it!"

Ignoring her question, Sousuke glanced over his shoulder. "She put the cuffs on so the keyhole faced away from my shoulder. Miss Chidori is more resourceful than I thought."

Melissa resisted the urge to sigh and turned back to her surveillance. _Angel _had just received a phone call.

"Hi Kyouko, what's up?" Kaname asked into the receiver. She watched her hamster run around the apartment in its ball.

"Nothing much, I just wanted to make sure you're all right." Kyouko's voice was concerned.

"That's sweet of you Kyouko. I'm fine. Obviously, I made it home with no problems." Kaname airily answered.

"That's not what I meant," Kyouko trailed off.

"I don't want to take about that freak!" Kaname huffed. "I mean the worst part is that I have to see him tomorrow and ugh!" She moaned in misery.

"Come on Kaname," Kyouko teased. "It's not that bad. And who said anything about Sousuke?" She added slyly.

"Who? You're the one who-" Kaname broke off and smiled. "Okay Kyouko, what about Crispin?"

"W-what do you mean?" Kyouko meekly asked.

"You can't fool me," Kaname pressed. "You were hanging all over him at the practice field today!"

"H-he was hurt," Kyouko stammered in protest.

"Don't try denying it! I saw how you looked at him!" Kaname smiled as her friend stuttered in protest and finally trailed off into silence.

"I think… he's nice." Came the breathy response.

"Y-you do?" Kaname stammered. She was surprised the girl actually answered. "Wow, that's unexpected."

"Now, it's your turn!" Kyouko asked excitedly.

"M-my turn?" Kaname reeled at her friend's energy. "I don't know what you mean."

"Come on Kaname!" Kyouko chided, "I answered your question. So, what about Sousuke? Come-on fess up!" Her voice grew in volume as she spoke.

"Okay," Kaname smiled. "I don't know. I guess…he's kind of interesting" She giggled.

"Oh!" Melissa exclaimed. "Listen!" She shoved her headset over Sousuke's ear.

"_I guess…he's kind of interesting."_

Sousuke's eyes widened. "I had no idea. That doesn't make any sense." He frowned and Kurz laughed.

"Would you rather she called you that really boring loser?" Melissa smiled.

Before Sousuke could respond there was a knock at the door. All three Mithril agents glanced up at the noise.

"Do you think we've been compromised?" Kurz asked as he readied his weapon.

"No, I'm sure I wasn't followed." Sousuke glanced around. This was a bad time to be handcuffed to a chair.

"I'll see who it is." Melissa readied her own weapon. "Urzu-6, cover me. Urzu-7" She turned to look at the still handcuffed sergeant. "Just… stand fast." She sighed.

Kurz crouched behind the corner of the entry way and Melissa moved to answer the door. She held her weapon behind her back. At a nod from Kurz, Melissa threw open the door and stared in shock.

Crispin Daniels stood there grinning. His grin grew into a huge smile. "Judas-1 reporting for duty, Sgt. Major!"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: In some ways this is my fav. part. It's the whole reason I wrote this fic. Sousuke and Crispin face-off! Enjoy!  
**

**The Devil Inside**

Chapter 7

Sgt. Major Melissa Mao blinked and stared at Lance Corporal Crispin Daniels. The AS engineer was standing outside their safe house with a stupid grin on his face. Melissa's eyes narrowed.

She grabbed the young corporal by collar and slammed him against the wall in the entryway. "What are you doing here?" She asked with deadly calm.

"Hey, if you wanted me so bad Sgt. Major all you had to do was ask." Crispin's smirk widened.

"Daniels!" Kurz exclaimed and stepped from behind the corner. "What the hell?"

"Ugh! I don't need this!" Melissa released the corporal with a scowl. She stormed back into the main living area in the safe house. "Of all people! The 'Old Man' sent you? What the hell is he thinking?" She turned and glared at the corporal, who just shrugged.

"Yeah, since when did a grease monkey get sent to do a spook's job?" Kurz exclaimed. This assignment was getting stranger and stranger.

"Weber," Crispin said as he stepped into the safe house, "unlike you, some of us actually have multiple talents!" He ignored Kurz's annoyed shout when he spotted Sousuke cuffed to a folding chair.

"Sagara!" He stared, "what in the hell are you doing?" He started laughing and answered his own question. "I get it! Chidori locked you into that thing didn't she!" He roared with laughter. "You're her stalker?"

"No, I'm her bodyguard." Sousuke scowled. "I've been assigned by Cmdr. Kalinin to-"

"Did you actually break into the girl's locker room?" Crispin interrupted with a laugh.

"No, I walked in." Sousuke frowned in puzzlement. He failed to see the problem. "I could not observe her movements. I thought it best-".

"You would!" Sousuke was again cut off by the AS engineer's roaring laughter. "You're a real piece of work Sagara!" He chuckled and sat down in one of the empty chairs scattered around the dining room table. He was the only one seated. "I always knew that fat head of yours was empty, but this-"

"That's enough!" Melissa snapped. "I don't have time for your games, Daniels!" She turned toward Kurz, "Get the laser drill and get him loose." She gestured to Sousuke with her head. As the blonde sergeant nodded and left to retrieve the drill from the equipment van she turned back toward Crispin. "You, start talking!" She took a seat herself.

Crispin sighed as Kurz left. "Fine, what do you want to know Sgt. Major?" He leaned back as he explained everything he knew about the target. Her physiological and psyche profile. The in and outs of her schedule. And every other detail he'd learned about the surrounding area and local populace.

"I'd be careful of trees and the parks. There's a lot of pigeons in the area and they'll shit on anything. Especially an AS with its ECS activated."

"Already know that," Kurz grunted. He had returned with the drill and a wisp of smoke could be seen emanating from the lock of Sousuke's handcuffs as the laser bore thru. "Think you could've warned us a little earlier."

"Don't blame me!" Crispin yelled. "I'm not the ones who showed up twenty-hours early!"

Kurz opened his mouth to retort but Melissa beat him to it. "Damnit!" She slammed her palm on the table. "I'm sick of you're crap! I don't care what the 'Old Man's thinking! I'll throw you in the stockade myself if you keep this shit up!"

Crispin propped his feet on the table and leaned his chair back. "Well, Sgt. Major." He drawled. "Be my guest." He smirked as the dark-haired women growled.

Without warning, Melissa jumped up. Her foot lashed out and knocked the corporal's chair out from under him and sent him crashing to the floor. Before Crispin could recover she flipped him on his stomach and pinned him to the ground with her knee.

"Argh!" Crispin panted in pain. "Get off me bitch!" His right hand flared in agony as the dark-haired woman twisted it behind his back. He froze when the muzzle of her pistol was shoved against the back of his head.

"Listen up Daniels!" She hissed and clicked the hammer back on her weapon, "I'm only saying this once." Kurz and Sousuke watched in stunned silence as their team leader threatened the corporal. "Novello was a good friend of mine. We served in the Corps together. It was my recommendation that got him into MOTC in the first place. He'll be lucky to walk again because of you!"

Melissa paused for breath, "And if you even THINK of trying the same crap you did back on the de Danaan I will kill you. Got that?" When she received no answer she dug the muzzle into his head deeper. "Got it!"

"Go ahead. Do it!" Crispin dared the Sgt. Major. "No one here's gonna stop ya."

"Unlike you, Daniels!" Melissa spat. "I don't try to kill a man when his back's turned!" She removed the pistol, but kept Crispin pinned to the ground. "This isn't some empty threat. It's a promise. I will kill you if you fuck up! Are we clear?"

"Crystal." Crispin finally ground out. "Sgt. Major" The last was an afterthought.

"Good, now on your feet!" Melissa released the corporal. Crispin slowly stood and glared at her. "Do you have anything to add to your report Cpl?"

"No, Sgt. Major." Crispin bit out. The sound of the scrambler crackling with static stopped whatever he was going to add.

"This is Urzu-2," Melissa ignored Daniels and picked up the headset. Her team mates would deal with him if he tried anything. "What?" She frowned at the reply she received. "No, I understand. Stand by." She turned and held out the headset to Daniels. "It's for you."

"Me?" Crispin stared stupidly at the headset. "Who'd want to talk to me?"

"It's the 'Old Man'!" Melissa snapped. "Now sit your ass down and make it quick!" She stood up as Daniels took the headset and placed it over his head.

"_Judas-1. This is Golden Goose. Over"_

"Yeah, Judas-1 here." Crispin frowned at the radio's mike. "What do you want Old Man?"

"_Judas-1. I'd advise you to maintain radio protocol. Over."_

"Sure, I hear ya. Over." The AS engineer snorted.

_ "Judas-1. Some data is being transmitted. You are to go over it and report your findings directly to me. This data is for your eyes only. Over."_

Crispin gave a start and glanced back at the three members of Team-Urzu. "I don't think that's gonna work Golden Goose. Over." His mind reeled at the implication.

_ "Urzu-2 has been advised of the situation. Prepare a written document of your conclusions. You will deliver them personally at the conclusion of your current assignment. Over. "_

"Roger. Awaiting data. Over." Crispin frowned. This was unexpected.

_ "Data transmission to start in sixty. Over." _

"When do I get my money back?" Crispin suddenly demanded. "The deposit for this apartment wasn't cheap you know? …Over." He added lamely.

_ "As explained before Judas-1. This is not a reward. Golden Goose Out."_

"Wait a minute you goddamn Russky!" Crispin yelled into the microphone, but he'd already been cut off. Crispin swore and yanked the headset off.

"Mind telling us what that was all about?" Kurz asked wryly. He had finally cut Sousuke loose of the cuffs, who stood next to him. Both men stared at the corporal suspiciously.

Crispin turned and was about to reply when he was interrupted by Melissa.

"That's not important." She said. "We've got a job to do tomorrow." She regarded her two teammates. "You two turn in. I'll keep watch tonight." She regarded Daniels coldly as her teammates reluctantly complied. "Once you've received your data. I want you out of here. Understood?"

"Yeah, I hear ya." Crispin shrugged and added. "Sgt. Major." He stood up.

"Good. You work on whatever it is the commander has you doing. We'll keep an eye on _Angel."_ Melissa sat down in front of the radio and placed the headset back on her ear.

"So that's it?" Crispin said scornfully. "I do all the fucking homework for your team and get kicked to the curb without so much as a thank you!" He clenched his fist and resisted the urge to attack the female Sgt. Major.

'That's exactly it, Daniels." Melissa said without looking up. "You should be grateful you're not rotting in the Danaan's stockade." She smiled up at the lance corporal and added sweetly, "But I'll be happy to send you back there if you like."

Crispin's retort was cut off by the whir of the fax machine. He walked over and waited for the data Kalinin sent. Once he'd received it, all fifty-three pages, he shoved the data into his bag and turned toward Melissa. "Will that be all Sgt. Major?" He asked in a tight voice.

"Yes. You're dismissed." Melissa turned and watched the corporal leave. When the door shut she turned toward one of the shadowed corners. "Kurz, secure that door. I don't want any surprises tonight." The blonde sergeant stepped out from the shadows and nodded.

"Sousuke, I thought I told you to get some rest!" Melissa snapped as Kurz locked the front door. The black-haired sergeant stepped out of the corner opposite of Kurz with his pistol in hand.

"Yes, Sgt. Major." Sousuke nodded as he lowered his weapon. "But it seemed prudent not to take any chances. Daniels is not to be underestimated."

"Thanks." Melissa smiled as Kurz returned. "But I can handle Daniels. He's not half as tough as he thinks he is." She frowned at the younger sergeant. "You just focus on protecting Chidori. Got it."

"I understand." Sousuke turned smartly and returned to his bunk.

"Man," Kurz spun a chair around and sat in it. "That guy's a load of laughs."

"Which one?" Melissa joked. As Kurz laughed she frowned and looked across the street to the darkened _Angel's_ apartment. "I don't like this. Why send Daniels here? He's as dangerous as any terrorist."

"Yeah, he's a son of a bitch," Kurz agreed. Three month's ago his M9's ninety-six smooth-bore sniper rifle had detonated when he tried to fire it. Daniels had been the last mechanic to work on it. If not for Sousuke, he wouldn't have made it out of the engagement alive. "What the hell is the Old Man thinking?"

"I don't know." Melissa frowned. "You just keep an eye on Sousuke. I'll worry about Daniels." Suddenly she grabbed the blonde sergeant's ear and yanked him down to eye level. "And didn't I just tell you to turn in?" She growled.

"AH!" Kurz yelped in pain. "I'm going! I'm going!" When he was released he rubbed his ear and muttered as he headed for his own bunk. "Geez, what is it with women?"

* * *

The next morning, Crispin walked bleary eyed to school. He'd spent half the night going through the data Kalinin had sent him, and none of it made any sense. "_What the fuck does he think I am?" _Crispin thought, "_Some kind of miracle worker!"_

He passed through the gates and saw two familiar figures by the main doors and called loudly. "Ladies! How the hell are ya?" All conversation stopped in the courtyard. Everybody starred at Crispin, who shrugged and continued walking.

"What did I tell you?" Kaname scolded Crispin as he walked up. "Ugh, you're both horrible! Why me?" She huffed and crossed her arms.

Crispin frowned and leaned over to Kyouko and whispered. "What's eating her?" He regarded the bespectacled girl a moment, "And why are you so red?"

"Uh," Kyouko blushed from Crispin's close proximity but quickly recovered. "Kaname's just mad about him." She pointed to the opposite wall from where they stood.

"Who?" Crispin turned and scowled when he saw Sagara Sousuke leaning against the wall in question. The Mithril Sgt. was staring intently at Kaname, but what bothered Crispin the most was that he never even saw the young sergeant. "That's your little toy soldier?" Crispin finally asked Kaname.

"He is NOT my anything!" Kaname whirled on him with fire in her eyes. "So stop saying it!" She pointed at Kyouko, "And you stop encouraging him!" The blue-haired girl finally turned and stormed over to the Mithril Sgt. watching her.

"What's your problem!" She snapped at a startled Sousuke. "Do you have something to say? Is there something on my face? Whatever it is stop staring at me!"

"I wasn't staring." Sousuke responded calmly. "I was studying the architecture of this facility." He nodded in satisfaction. "It is very well built. I imagine it could survive a direct impact of a 80mm HE shell at least." He directed his attention back to Kaname. "Wouldn't you agree."

"Agree!" Kaname yelled. "I don't even know what you're talking about! How could I-argh!" She threw her hands up in the air.

"_This is priceless."_ Crispin thought gleefully. "Oh, come off it Sagara." Crispin finally spoke. "Is the best you can do? Some lame ass excuse like that? Why don't you just admit the truth." Sousuke and the girls looked at Crispin curiously. He pointed at the building in question. "It's hollow dumb-ass. The walls aren't solid concrete that'd be way too expensive. All it'd take is a fifty cal to bring this place down." He turned and glanced sideways at the sergeant. "Admit it! You just want to cop a feel."

"Cop a feel?" Sousuke was completely baffled. "Feel of what?"

"You. You PERVERT!" Kaname screamed and smashed Sousuke into the wall. As the Mithril sergeant recovered from the blow. Kaname turned toward her best friend, who snapped a quick picture, "Come on Kyouko!" She walked away in a rage.

Crispin leaned over the recovering Sousuke with a grin, "What's the matter Sagara? Mission too much for you? Kalinin's perfect little soldier don't got what it takes?"

Sousuke surged to his feet and glared at Crispin, "That was uncalled for. I had the target calm when you lied." His fist clenched as he regarded the AS engineer. "Don't interfere in my mission." He said the last in a fierce whisper.

"Watch it Sagara," Crispin stepped in front of the shorter sergeant. "That sounded like a threat." His glare hardened. "And you're little SRT buddies won't help you here. They can't risk revealing themselves."

"I don't need their help." Sousuke said darkly. "In any case this is not the time or place for this discussion. Stand aside, I have a job to do."

"And a fine job you've doing too." Crispin taunted. "Mithril's perfect soldier. Ready to save the world or die trying!" He grinned viciously. "Getting his ass handed to him by a high-school girl. A fine job indeed." He laughed mockingly. "It's comedy hour far as I'm concerned." Crispin laughed again.

At some unnamed signal both boy's hands shot out and grabbed the other by the collar.

"What is going on here!" A stern voice demanded. Both teens looked to see the blonde Nakumura-sensei towering before them. As each boy released the other, she continued. "Detention for both of you!" She glared at Crispin, "Mr. Daniels, you may be one of my best students, but that doesn't give you the right to flaunt the rules!" She rounded on Sousuke, "And you! You're our new transfer aren't you? Well, that's no excuse. I'll be informing your homeroom teacher!" She turned to walk into the school, "Mr. Daniels, follow me!"

Sousuke watched the AS mechanic nonchalantly follow the furious teacher inside. Crispin turned and threw a jaunty wave his way and disappeared into the building. Sousuke heard a rumbling and was shocked to discover it was coming from his chest. He was growling in anger at the corporal. "I have to get to my assignment," Sousuke frowned and walked inside as the bell rung.

That afternoon, Crispin looked up as a loud shout and crash carried though the air. He was sitting outside going over a pre-med textbook trying to decipher the data Kalinin sent him. "What the hell?"

"I was moving the sculpture for art class, when he started yelling about kidnappers or something!" Kaname waved in disgust at the dark-haired boy sweeping up bits of broken plaster. She looked at Kyouko, "Can you blame me?"

"There, there!" Kyouko patted her on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Sousuke explained. "I was an accident. I slipped and fell."

Kaname collapsed against Kyouko, "An accident? Sure, the running and shouting had nothing to do with it. Just leave me alone."

Crispin stuck his head inside. He spotted Sousuke sweeping up the remains of the sculpture he shattered and snorted as he strode into the second year's art room. "What's the matter Sagara? Mr. Perfect-Soldier tripped?" He looked at the mess all around and shook his head. "I should've know you were behind all the noise."

"Umm," Kyouko snapped another picture. "Do you know each other?" She asked.

Kaname turned toward Crispin curious and missed Sousuke stiffen at Kyouko's question. "You know this maniac?" She scowled at the thought.

"Oh, yeah!" Crispin said. "Me and Sagara go way back." He regarded the sergeant who was glaring at him. "We worked at the same job last summer. Isn't that right?" He smiled at Sousuke.

"Yes," Sousuke answered quickly. "We were food service providers at the mess hall."

"Wha?" Kaname and Kyouko starred at Sousuke like he had grown an extra head.

"We were waiters at a local restaurant." Crispin translated helpfully.

"Oh." Both girls nodded in understanding.

"That's so cool! And now you've met again here at Jindai High!" Kyouko exclaimed happily. She took another picture.

"Yeah, isn't that great, Sagara!" Crispin grinned at Sousuke, who scowled in return.

"So has he always been like this?" Kaname asked slowly. She could feel a thickening of the air, like when a thunderstorm was forming. She didn't like it.

"Oh yeah!" Crispin exclaimed. "In fact, now that I know he's here, all those crazy stories circulating around since yesterday actually make sense. Right Sagara."

Sousuke remained silent.

"What's the matter hero?" Crispin drew out the last word like an insult. "Cat got your tongue? Brain overloaded? Need me to use smaller words?"

"There's nothing to say," Sousuke explained evenly. He turned to the broken sculpture. "I have work to do."

"That's right," Crispin mocked, "you have work to do. And Sousuke Sagara always does what he's told." Sousuke frowned as Crispin continued. "Just like a good little soldier."

"Cris?" Kyouko hesitated. There was something wrong with him, and it worried her. She hadn't seen him like this since… the fight. "That's enough. Stop, please!"

"You're freaking me out." Kaname agreed. "Okay guys, jokes over!" She forced a laugh, but it died in her throat.

"What's the matter, Sagara?" Crispin ignored the girls and advanced on the sergeant.

Sousuke glanced over at the worried looking Kaname and Kyouko and stepped back. "There's no problem. I just need to complete the task assigned to me."

"No problem." Crispin whispered. "That's good." He smiled cruelly. "Do you believe in heaven, Sagara?"

"What?" Sousuke blinked at the sudden shift in topic. "I don't-"

"Did you know?" Crispin interrupted. "That some people believe in _Angels_?" He nodded at the stunned look, "Yeah. Some even say that _Angels_ walk among us. Sometimes if your fortunate, or persistent, you might just catch one." He turned and looked at Kaname. "Isn't that what you're doing Sagara? Trying to catch an _Angel_-" He was cut off when Sousuke grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into the wall.

Sousuke's teeth were bared as he glared at the stocky boy.

"Stop it! Both of you!" Kaname yelled and advanced on the two boys. "Stop it or I'll call a teacher!"

Sousuke blinked and slowly stepped away from Crispin. "Yes. I apologize Miss Chidori. That was uncalled for."

Kaname and Kyouko sighed.

"That's it?" Crispin taunted. "I expected more from you Sagara." He pushed Sousuke in the shoulder. "Come on." Another push. "Is that all you got?"

"Daniels." Sousuke said in a low voice. The knuckles of his fist were white as he glared at the stocky corporal. "I'd appreciate it if you'd stop."

Crispin laughed and pushed Sousuke again. "Mr. Perfect Fucking Solider Sagara!" He sneered and shoved the teen sergeant again. "Fucking Russky's wind up toy! Ready for duty," He drew the last word out as an insult, "Sergeant!"

It wasn't clear who finally threw the first punch, but suddenly both teens were swinging their fists and trying to kill the other. Kyouko screamed and Kaname yelled at them to stop. They knocked desks over and damaged one of the classroom walls, before Kagurazaka-Sensei ran inside.

"What's going on here!" The brown-haired teacher demanded. "Stop this both of you!"

Finally Sousuke landed a hard right into Crispin's stomach, who gasped and fell to his knees. Sousuke wiped some blood from his lip and came to attention. "I apologize ma'am. I don't know what overcame me."

"Sure you don't?" Crispin wheezed.

"That's enough!" Kagurazaka-sensei yelled. "Now will someone tell me what's going on!" Sousuke and Crispin glared at each other and looked away.

"Sensei," Kyouko hesitated. "They were talking about an old job they worked at together, and then about angels, and then…and then." She trailed off on the verge of tears.

"This jerk started taunting the idiot here!" Kaname finished and indicated first Crispin and then Sousuke. She huffed and glared at both.

"Thank you girls." Kagurazaka-Sensei turned toward the other students in the class. "You may go home. Don't worry about clean up today." She turned back toward Sousuke and Crispin. "You two! My office. Now!" She pointed and lead them to her office.

Kaname and Kyouko glanced at each other and quickly followed.

Kagurazaka-Sensei was yelling at the two teens while Kaname and Kyouko hovered outside the office door. They peeked in through a crack thru the door's edge.

"Detention for three weeks! Cleanup duty! And extra assignments!" Kagurazaka-Sensei berated the two teenaged boys. "I don't know about were you came from, but that kind of behavior will NOT be tolerated at this school! Am I clear?"

"Yes ma'am!" Sousuke snapped to attention.

"Yeah, sure." Crispin answered in a bored tone.

"You sure you want to take a picture?" Kaname asked as her friend raised her camera.

"Yeah," Kyouko said haltingly. "I guess so." However she took no picture but instead starred at the boy she thought she knew and realized she did not.

Kaname patted her friend comfortingly and said, "Hey, let's get out of here. Forget about these losers."

"Okay." Kyouko agreed sadly. They both got up and crept away. The teacher could still be heard yelling.

"Another incident like this and you WILL be suspended! Is that understood!"

"Yes ma'am!' Sousuke snapped to attention.

"Yeah, sure." Crispin answered bored.

Two hours later, Crispin finally walked out of Jindai High. "Damn that Kagurazaka's got a pair of lungs on her!" He rubbed his stomach and grimaced. "Fucking bastard. Thinks he so big, just cause he the 'Old Man's favorite!" Crispin continued on his way home and contemplated dark thoughts about the Mithril sergeant's fate.

"Two days!" Kurz exclaimed as he patched up Sousuke at the safe house. "And you're already busted up." He shook his head. "Not to mention dealing with Daniels. You'll be dead by the end of the week."

"Sousuke's point man because he can handle all this craziness." Melissa said from her chair by the window overlooking Kaname's apartment. "And I'll deal with Daniels."

"I apologize." Sousuke said. "I should never have allowed the fight to happen."

"Don't blame yourself. "Melissa consoled.

"Yeah," Kurz laughed. "If it'd been me I'd have taken his head off, or just put a bullet in him. School or not." He finished his work on Sousuke's wounds. "But look at the bright side. Next time you'll take care of that bastard!" He slapped the younger sergeant on the back for luck.

"No, he won't." Melissa scowled. "I told Daniels what'd happen if he pulled this crap. I'll deal with him." She stared hard at Sousuke, "You're going to have to be extra careful from now on. We, and _Angel_, can't afford to have you expelled. That means no jumping the gun. You don't act until you've made positive confirmation of the situation. Understood?"

"Understood, Sgt. Major!" Sousuke snapped to attention. "I won't let you down."

"I know you won't." Melissa smiled. "Now get some rest. You've earned it."

"I'm fine. I should take my watch tonight as originally scheduled.

"I said get some rest!" Melissa snapped. Sousuke blinked. At the woman's glare he nodded and turned toward his bunk.

"Man," Kurz sighed. "What a day. I knew I should've done something in the courtyard this morning." He sat at the table and laid his head down.

"Don't blame yourself." Melissa said. "Daniels is a grade-A asshole. I would've shot him if I'd been in Sousuke's place."

"You're not really going to…" Kurz trailed off.

"Kill him?" Melissa raised an eyebrow. "If I have to, yes. You know I don't make idle threats." At Kurz's frown she smiled, "Don't worry. I won't have to. Like I said, Daniels isn't half as tough as he thinks he is." She turned away from her puzzled teammate and resumed monitoring _Angel's_ apartment.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Melissa carries out her threat! Poor Crispin, bastard doesn't know what he's in for. lol  
**

**The Devil Inside**

Chapter 8

"Hello." Kaname answered the ringing phone later that night in her apartment.

"Kaname." A quiet voice whispered.

"Kyouko." Kaname exclaimed, always happy to talk to her friend. "How're you feeling?" She asked in concern.

"Okay, I guess."

"You don't sound okay." Kaname said gently.

"Can…is it all right if I come over?" Kyouko asked hesitantly.

"Of course it's alright! But what about-"

"My parents said it's alright. I told them we needed to study."

"Okay. I'll cook dinner. We'll make a party of it!"

"Thanks, Kaname!" Kyouko exclaimed. She was never one to stay upset for long. "I'll see you soon!"

* * *

"_Hey, Sis! Guess who's back!" Crispin called out happily as he opened the door to the house he shared with his younger sister. The house was empty as he tossed his duffel bag on the overstuffed couch. "Guess, Allie's still at school." He muttered when no one answered. _

_He was startled by the ringing of the telephone. He stared as the phone as it continued to ring. Fighting down a sense of growing dread Crispin finally picked it up. _

"_Hello."_

"_Mr. Daniels?" An official sounding voice asked. _

"_Yes," Crispin's breath froze as he answered._

"_I'm sorry, but I have some bad news. Can you come down to the station? It concerns your sister…._"

* * *

"AH!" Crispin woke with a yell. He panted as he stared wildly around. The darkness disoriented him until he realized he was in his apartment. He felt nauseous and the sheets of his futon were soaked with sweat.

"Oh god," he moaned and rolled to the floor. He crawled to the bathroom and emptied his stomach into the toilet. Once finished he collapsed. "Allie," he sobbed. "I'm sorry! I'm so fucking sorry!" He curled into a ball and remained that way the rest of the night.

Early the next morning, Crispin made his way to Jindai High. It was obvious he hadn't slept. His face was blotchy and he had dark bags under his eyes. His clothes were rumpled and his hair was in disarray. Yet, not once did he consider not going to school. It wasn't for duty or some altruistic desire to save the world.

One reason kept the lance corporal going: the past would NOT repeat itself. He forced himself forward step by step on that one principal. What happened to those other girls would NOT happen to Kaname Chidori!

"_After you've read the file, I think you'll agree with my assessment." _Kalinin's departing words in the brig came back to Crispin. "Yeah, Old Man. On that we can fucking agree." He murmured as he stepped off the train and turned toward school. He blinked when he saw the object of his musings up ahead chatting happily with her best friend.

"Hey Guys!" He called and hurried to catch up with the girls. "Wait up."

Kaname and Kyouko looked back and saw Crispin walking toward them. Since the bespectacled girl had spent the night, they were walking to school together. And they already decided how to deal with Crispin Daniels. Kaname turned back around and grabbed her friend's hand. "Come on Kyouko!"

"Okay!" Kyouko readily agreed.

"Hey!" Crispin finally caught up. "What're you two in such a hurry for?"

"Kyouko, our school trip to Okinawa's next week isn't it?"

"Yeah, I'm really excited! I've never been to Okinawa!" Kyouko exclaimed happily.

"Hey, let's go out this Sunday." Kaname smiled at her friend. "We'll need new swim-suits and maybe we'll catch some sales!"

"That's a great idea Kaname!"

"Hey?" Crispin tried to get their attention. "What's the matter with you?" At their silence he blinked and remembered. "Oh that!" He grinned sheepishly. "I know I was supposed to help you guys study, but I got kinda tied up. You know how it is?" He laughed.

"And whose fault it that?" Kaname whirled on the laughing teen. At his shocked looked she answered for him "Yours, that's who!"

"I-I had detention! What was I supposed to do?" Crispin retorted.

"Crispin." Kyouko sighed in disappointment.

"Detention!" Kaname's eyes flashed in anger. "This isn't about Detention, y-you JERK!" She leaned forward and poked the young man in the chest. "What you did was inexcusable. Uncalled for, and down right disgusting!" At each word she continued to poke Crispin in the chest. He was forced to lean back until he finally fell on his backside. "Detention is the least you deserve!" Kaname fumed as she towered over the stammering boy.

"Sagara? This is about Sagara?" Crispin gaped at the two girls. "You're the one who's always bitching about him. And he started it!"

"Started it!" Kaname shrieked. "Who was the one shoving him around and calling him names? Sousuke didn't deserve that! Especially from the likes of you!" She balled her hands and continued to glare.

"Your defending him?" Crispin was incredulous. "That toy-soldier?"

"Don't call him that!" Kaname slapped Crispin across the face. "You don't have any right to call him anything! Do you hear me?" At Crispin's dumbfounded look she continued. "At least he faces up to his screw-ups! And if you ever bother him again, I-I'll kick your ass myself!"

Crispin's jaw-dropped. "What?" He was in total shock and couldn't think of anything to say. He watched as Kaname straightened out her hair and smoothed her uniform and turned to her friend.

"Let's go Kyouko." At the brown-haired girl's nod, the two continued on their way to Jindai High.

Crispin watched the two walk away and was seized by panic. "Wait!" he called desperately. "Please, WAIT!"

At his panicked shout Kaname stopped and shared a look with Kyouko. They both nodded and turned to glare at the AS engineer with a folded arms.

"I'm sorry!" Crispin panted. "I'm-"

"That was really mean!" Kyouko interrupted him. "What did Sousuke ever do to you?"

"We're not the ones you should be apologizing too!" Kaname added.

"Apologize? To Sagara?" Crispin laughed. "You're joking right?" At their somber faces he scowled. "No way! It'll be a cold day in hell before that happens!"

"Then I guess there's nothing more to talk about." Kaname simply said. She and Kyouko turned and continued toward the school.

"Wait!" Crispin yelled. The girls paused and glanced at him. "If I-" he swallowed. "Apologize? Do you think you can forgive me?" He was surprised at the desperation in his voice.

"If you don't mean it, then no we won't!" Kaname all but snarled.

"If you don't mean it then you shouldn't bother, Crispin." Kyouko said quietly.

"Aw come on." Crispin pleaded. "I'll apologize okay? I mean it. I was a jerk and I admit it, even to Sagara." He was ready to get on his knees.

"It's a start." Kaname finally said.

"But you can't keep doing this Crispin." Kyouko added. "I thought you were better than that." Slowly she held out her hand. In it was the digital camera Crispin had built. "And I don't want a present like this from someone who isn't what he claims to be."

Crispin winced and looked away. "I never claimed to be a saint." He muttered.

"That's no excuse!" Kaname said. "And we're tired of putting up with it!" Kaname indicated herself and Kyouko, who nodded in agreement.

"I'm not a nice guy." Crispin confessed. "And people like Sagara piss me off, but if you want me to apologize." He sighed. "Then I'll do it." He looked back at the girls and smiled slightly. "I'll even try to keep my moth shut, but I can't promise anything."

The girls glared at him and then shared a long look. "Alright." Kaname finally sighed. "But I don't want to hear about anything like this again! Got it?" She shoved her finger in Crispin's face to accentuate the point.

"Yeah, I got it! I got it." Crispin back peddled. "Just get outta my face!" The relief he felt was tremendous. He looked at Kyouko and asked hesitantly. "I hope you'll still keep the camera." He sighed at her happy nod.

"Yay Cris!" Kyouko gleefully exclaimed. She threw her arms around the teen's right arm and hugged him. "I'll be happy to keep it!"

"Argh!" Crispin gasped as pain shot through his right hand. "My hand!" He pulled himself free and cradled his hand. "And stop calling me that!"

Kyouko giggled and Kaname smiled. Their mirth faded as they took in the boy's tired and rumpled appearance. With a shared look they faced the boy once again.

"Are you feeling alright Cris?" Kyouko asked in concern.

"Yeah, I feel fine." Crispin waved their concern away. "Let's get to class."

"Nope," Kaname shook her head. "You're anything but fine. Have you looked in a mirror? You look horrible!"

"Why thank you." Crispin drawled. "You always know how to make a guy feel loved Chidori." He flinched when a flash went off in his face. "What was that for?" he rounded on Kyouko.

"Your face looks just like a zombie's." Kyouko said gravelly as she lowered her camera. "You really should be at home resting Cris."

"Your not helping ya know." Crispin complained at Kyouko. He looked back and forth between the two girls and saw that neither intended to give up. "Fine, whatever." He sighed in defeat. "I'll go. Sheesh!" he hunched his shoulders and muttered. "You're like a couple of mother hens."

Kaname scowled and smacked him across the head with her book bag. Kyouko giggled at the sight and took another picture.

"Ow! What was that for?" Crispin restrained the urge to curse.

"We are not barnyard animals! Got it!" Kaname fumed. "Now get going and don't worry about Detention. I'll talk to your homeroom teacher." The last she said gently.

"Okay. I'm going." Crispin rolled his eyes and turned to go back home. He glanced back and saw the two watching to make sure he really did go. "Ah well," he thought, "at least Sagara will be around to watch after her." Crispin scowled at the thought of the sergeant. "I can't believe I agreed to apologize to that bastard!"

"Well that was unexpected." A female voice drawled when Crispin rounded a corner and passed from the girl's sight. He whirled to see Sgt. Major Melissa Mao leaning against the corner he had just passed. She regarded Crispin with hooded eyes. "Here I was ready to dress you down only to find out Angel's already done it for me." She smirked and tilted her head. "And probably did a better job too. She should join up. She'd make a good DI."

"What's up Sgt. Major?" Crispin narrowed his eyes. "Here to keep that promise of yours?" He challenged. "Go right ahead. We both know no one will give a shit if you do."

"I'm not here for that Daniels." Melissa sighed and stepped from the wall. "But I did come to pull you from the assignment."

"What? No, you can't!" Crispin cried out desperately. He reached to grab Melissa shoulder's in desperation when she cut him off.

"I can and I will, Daniels!" Melissa grinned fiercely at the lance corporal's shock. "I say the word and you'll be back in the de Danaan's stockade in less than six hours."

"You better make sure Weber's here in that AS of his." Crispin growled and clenched his fist. "I won't go quietly!" To his surprise Melissa laughed.

"Yeah, that's what the Old Man told me you'd say!" Melissa chuckled at the stunned look on the corporal's face.

"You're shitting me!" Crispin protested. "When did he say that?"

"When I asked him to scratch you from this mission." Melissa regarded the AS mechanic thoughtfully. "He asked me to reconsider. Said your insight would be essential." She frowned, "Mind telling me why?"

"That Russky asked you to reconsider?" Crispin asked. "I don't get it. Why would he do that?" He scratched his head in puzzlement.

"I was hoping you could tell me." Melissa muttered darkly. At his shrug she continued, "It's doesn't matter. The commander left it to my discretion." She smirked at Crispin, "So what's it going to be Daniels? You going to straighten out or do you I send you back to the de Danaan."

"The only way I'm going back is in a body bag, Sgt. Major." Crispin said in a low voice.

"Oh, I doubt that, Daniels." Melissa laughed. "But that does tell me what I needed to know." She regarded him coolly. "If you want to stay I think an apology is a good start." She said sweetly to the glowering teen.

"I already said I'd apologize to Sagara." Crispin ground out.

"Oh, I'm not talking about Sousuke." Melissa smiled and Crispin repressed a shudder.

* * *

Kaname gave a start when she saw Sousuke Sagara walk into the classroom. He had an obviously swollen lip bruised jaw and everyone in the class turned to stare as he moved to the rear of the classroom. The boy was unfazed by all the attention as he took his seat in the back. All eyes turned to the front when Kagurazaka-Sensei entered and started taking roll.

All during class the blue-haired girl found herself sneaking looks at Sousuke. She thought what to do about the boy and hoped he wasn't hurt too badly. She scowled as she remembered the way Crispin had taunted him yesterday. _That jerk_! Her hands clenched in fury. _He is sooo not living this down!_

When the bell for lunch rang, Kaname got up and headed to the back of the class. Sousuke looked up in surprise as she approached.

"Can I help you Ms. Chidori?" He asked

"Umm, how are you feeling?" Kaname asked. She couldn't face the boy so she looked out the window.

"I'm perfectly fine and fit for today's duties." He was puzzled at her question.

"No, I'm not talking about that," Kaname resisted the urge to yell. Talking to this boy was irritating. She looked back at him. "I mean, what I'm trying to ask is how's …" She trailed off and gestured to her own lip.

Sousuke's eyes lit in understanding. "I'm doing quite well. The pain doesn't bother me and the swelling should be gone in a day or so."

"Umm, it still hurts?" She clasped her hands together and looked away again. "Did you try putting ice on it?"

"Yes, I applied an ice compress for fifteen minutes when I arrived at the LP, er… my apartment last night." At Kaname's puzzled look he explained. "Any longer would've risked tissue damage."

Kaname was about to ask another question when the flash of a digital camera cut her off. "Kyouko!" She whirled on her friend and was mortified to see half the class watching them. "Wha-what are you all doing?"

"Don't mind us?" Kyouko said happily. "Just pretend like we're not here." Several of her classmates nodded in agreement.

"I told you it's not like that!" She yelled. With fire in her eyes she turned back to Sousuke and grabbed his hand. "Come on!" She stormed out of the classroom with the Mithril sergeant in tow.

She dragged him up to the roof of the school. Once up there, she leaned against the door leading to the roof exhausted. "Honestly, the things you have to do to have a private conversation around here!" She was irritated at her classmates.

"What was it you wanted to ask Ms. Chidori?" Sousuke regarded the blue-haired girl curiously. From the start of the mission, her behavior has been quite erratic. Not all like Daniels had reported.

"I, uh, wanted to make sure you were alright?" Kaname couldn't bring herself to look the boy in the face. "And to tell you I don't blame you for what happened yesterday."

"No, I threw the first punch." Sousuke disagreed. "I appreciate your concern Ms. Chidori, but the fault is mine."

"No it isn't!" Kaname exclaimed. "Don't you get it?" She frowned at the boy. "That jerk was pushing you around the classroom like some kind of personal chew toy and called you names!"

"That is no excuse, I let my emotions get the better of me and acted hastily. Regardless of the provocation, I'm still the one at fault."

"I would've kicked his ass!" Kaname said.

"What?" Sousuke regarded her wide-eyed, surprised at her use of language.

"I," Kaname blushed as she stared at the boy. "I wouldn't have taken that from anyone." At his confused frown she sighed, "Look Sousuke, you were wrong to fight, but you admit that and have been punished for it." She lowered her eyes, "I think that's very admirable."

"You do?" Sousuke was confused again.

"Yes, I do." She looked back up. "And I want you to understand that, okay?" At his nod she let out the breath she'd been holding. "I also," she stepped toward him and raised her hand to his injured face," wanted to make sure you were alright. Those bruises look painful." She stared into his eyes as she spoke.

The door to the roof swung open and a student stared at the two. "Opps, didn't mean to interrupt." The student smiled, clearly embarrassed, and quickly retreated.

"I, it's not like that!" Kaname protested but the door had already swung shut. "I don't believe this! Ugh." She turned back to Sousuke, who regarded her curiously, and smiled, "I'm glad your okay." She opened the door and quickly exited the roof.

Sousuke starred at the door several moments and wondered, "What was that all about?" He shook off his confusion and followed Kaname. He had a mission to complete.

After school, Sousuke stood in the empty classroom. He'd been assigned sole cleanup duty for the rest of the week for fighting in school. He was speaking to Kurz through the radio set he had in his ear.

"I'm concerned about Chidori." He explained. "She brushed off my request to stay after class."

"Hey, don't sweat it." Kurz's voice echoed in his ear. "I'll keep an eye on our Angel. You do what you got to do, and don't worry. At least you don't have to put up with Daniels today."

"Yes, that has me the most worried." He frowned at the thought of the stocky AS engineer.

"Forget about him! Mao's got that asshole under control." Kurz laughed.

"I suppose." Sousuke sighed. This assignment was much more difficult than he expected.

"Don't worry! I'll keep you posted."

Sousuke ran through the streets of Tokyo. He'd finished his cleanup duties as quickly as possible and the sensei had dismissed him. Now he was desperately trying to catch up to Kaname Chidori. Despite his teammate's reassurance he couldn't shake the feeling of dread that formed a knot in his stomach.

Four girls sat at a table in hamburger shop near Jindai High.

"Did you see the look on his face?" The dark-haired Mayuko laughed.

"That was so funny how you made Sousuke trash bitch!" Maya added.

"But the really surprising part was Ms. Perfect here feeding him that line about the new guy." Mayuko observed. Both girls turned to regard Kaname who choked on her soda.

"Especially after that touching scene they had at lunch." Maya agreed.

"What are you talking about?" Kaname sputtered. "There was no scene!" She waved away their dubious looks, "And it's not like he objected to the job, much, so there's not a problem." She laughed nervously and noticed Kyouko staring at her fries. "What are you doing?"

Kyouko made a box with her hands and stared at Kaname basket of fries. "Shh," she whispered "The grease stain from your fries looks like Godzilla." She said gravely and raised her camera.

The three girls rolled their eyes.

"That reminds me," Maya asked after Kyouko had her picture. "What happened to your camera? I thought it was bigger than that?"

"And black." Mayuko added.

"Ah." Kyouko froze and Kaname grinned.

"Yes, Kyouko," She drawled. "Do tell." After the girl's insinuations about her and Sousuke, Kaname enjoyed turning the tables on her friend.

"Um, it was a gift." Kyouko finally answered. She lowered her eyes at her two friends incredulous stares.

"That's some gift. Was it a birthday present?"

"Wait, I thought your birthday was in August? Was it from a boy?"

"It is." Kyouko stuttered. "My birthday." She added hastily.

"Then its from a boy?" Maya pressed. "Come on! You've been holding out on us."

"It was from Daniels in 3-5." Kaname finally took pity on her friend and answered. "I was there."

"Wow! That's a serious gift. He must really like you!" Mayuko smiled at her friend. Kyouko blushed and shook her head no.

"Daniels, that American?" Maya asked. At Kaname's and Kyouko's nod, she frowned. "I don't think it's a good idea to go out with him. He tried to pick a fight with Toshi and Nokigawa. And wasn't he the guy who gave Sousuke that fat lip?"

"He's not like… that." Kyouko trailed off. Crispin HAD injured Sousuke yesterday.

"Wait," Kaname asked confused, "When'd he pick a fight with Toshi and Nokigawa?"

"Uh, I don't know." Maya shrugged. "Last week maybe?" She took a sip from her soda.

"He didn't!" Kyouko protested. "They're the ones who beat Crispin up!"

"Crispin?" Mayuko asked, "You call him by his first name? Wow, you two are serious."

"Hey, don't get mad at me!" Maya said at the same time. "All I know is what Natsuko told me!" She glanced at Kyouko as Mayuko's words sank in, "He still sounds like trouble to me."

"What did Natsuko tell you?" Kaname asked over her best friend's sputtering.

"Well, she was watching her boyfriend's club practice on the bleachers overlooking the athletic fields. Daniels was there. A short while later Toshi and Nokigawa came to talk to him. Anyway, she said he suddenly grabbed them and told everybody to leave if they knew what's good for them." Maya shrugged and finished off her soda. "Natsuko said he looked serious and took off."

"He wouldn't!" Kyouko cried. "He-" She turned away unable to finish.

"That's weird." Kaname looked at her friend in concern while she talked to Maya. "We saw him after that and he look messed up. I mean really bad. And we both saw Toshi and Nokigawa run away from there just a little earlier." She trailed off as she noticed a guy walk quickly out of the shop without his briefcase.

"Oh no."

"Man, what a drag." Kurz fought back a yawn as he monitored the conversation Angel and her friends were having. His trained eye lazily looked over the various instruments and gauges in his M9. According to the transponder, Sousuke was only about two blocks away now. "Take a right up ahead and you should be able to see the place."

"Roger. I'm on my way."

"Take it easy. There's nothing to worry about. Nobody would be stupid enough to grab her here." Kurz shook his head. Sousuke's commitment and energy always amazed him, but the youngest member of SRT-Urzu was trying too hard, at least in his opinion.

"Oh no!"

Kurz glanced up at his external monitor at Angel's cry. He frowned as she ran out with a metal suitcase in her hand. "What the?" The girl was looking around frantically. A quick glance at his gauges told him Sousuke was less than a minute away, so Kurz wasn't too worried.

"Oh shit!"

"Sir!" Kaname called and grabbed the briefcase of the gentleman she saw rush out. She followed him. "Sir, you forgot your briefcase!" She looked around and saw the man walking rapidly away on the other side of the road. "Sir!" She called out again and raced across the road.

"Kaname!" Kyouko's worried shout and the squeal of tires made the blue-haired girl look up. She gasped as she saw a delivery truck barreling down on her.

"Chidori!" Sousuke looked in horror as he saw a delivery truck zoom past heading right for Kaname. He would never reach her in time, so he did the only thing he could think of.

Sousuke jumped onto the driver's door. He clung to the window frame, which was thankfully rolled down. He reached into the cabin, past the startled driver, and yanked the steering wheel all the way to the right.

The truck swerved and swung just past Kaname, who was thrown down by the near miss. Sousuke tumbled from the vehicle as it hurtled past the girl and crashed into a bicycle rack. The truck tipped over but was suddenly stopped in its fall. Only the briefest flicker of Kurz's M9 could be seen as it set the truck back on its wheels and then it was gone.

"Kaname!"


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: A lot more of the action follows the episodes for these next few chapters. And we get to see Mao's punishment. Heh. As always feel comments are great! Free to leave one :)  
**

**The Devil Inside**

Chapter 9

"Kaname!" Kyouko watched in horror as the delivery van bore down on her best friend. Suddenly the van swerved to the side and barely passed the blue-haired girl. The out of control vehicle knocked Kaname down and tipped over.

Everyone's attention was focused on the girl sprawled on the street and missed the vehicle suddenly stop and right itself. Kyouko and the other two girls ran to Kaname, who lay prone in the middle of the street.

"Kaname, are you alright?" Kyouko reached out and hesitated. She didn't want to aggravate any possible injuries. Maya and Mayuko run up behind her breathless.

"How is she?" Mayuko asked worriedly. Maya waved a hand in front of Kaname's face and received no reaction.

"Kaname!" Kyouko cried. "Please be okay!" Tears were running down her face as she hesitantly placed a hand on Kaname's shoulder.

"Oh, wha-what happened?" Kaname blinked. She felt adrift as if in a haze. She slowly sat up and became aware of the crying Kyouko. "Why are you crying Kyouko?"

"Kaname!" Kyouko threw her arms around her friend. "You're alright!" She cried happily.

"Don't scare us like that." Mayuko chided in relief. Maya nodded.

Kaname hugged Kyouko and looked around slowly. People were starting to gather. "What happened?" She asked again.

"You were nearly run over by that truck." Mayuko indicated the delivery vehicle. "But it swerved to the side at the last second."

"I was?" Kaname blinked, "Yeah, I was." She shuddered and hugged Kyouko tighter.

"Uh-huh, good thing Sousuke was here." Maya said.

"Sousuke?" Kaname asked. Kyouko and Mayuko looked at the long-haired girl questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"Sousuke jumped out of nowhere and yanked the truck's steering wheel to the side." The long-haired girl pointed at a figure pulling itself from a bike rack across the street. The other girl's looked and saw Sousuke slowly stand up. Bicycles were scattered all around him.

"I don't…." Kaname trailed off and pulled herself up. As she gained her feet she felt a sharp pain in her right arm. She rolled up her sleeve and grimaced. A large bruise was already forming on her upper arm and elbow.

"Kaname," Kyouko breathed, "your arm." She quickly pulled out her camera. "It looks like your alarm clock!" She chirped happily.

Kaname smiled at her friend. Kyouko was obviously feeling better. Taking a steadying breath she walked over to the still dazed Sousuke.

"Ms. Chidori," Sousuke stiffly placed his hands at the small of his back. The right sleeve of his uniform jacket was torn. "Are you alright?" He peered intently at the blue-haired girl, visually assessing her for damage.

"I'm fine." She smiled. "Thanks to you." She bowed but not too deeply. She still felt a little wobbly.

"That was so cool!" Maya exclaimed. "You just jumped out and risked your life to save Kaname!"

"You're a real hero!" Mayuko agreed.

"Sousuke!" Kyouko gushed. "You're amazing!" She took another picture.

"I only did what I had to." Sousuke said. He stared Kaname in the eyes. "Are you sure you're not hurt, Kaname? Perhaps you should go to the infirmary."

Kaname's eyes widened at his use of her first name. "I-I'm fine. You shouldn't-" She lowered her eyes unable to meet his and noticed the torn sleeve. "You're hurt!" She cried out. His arm was dripping bright red from scrapping along the asphalt. She reached out and hesitated. "You're the one who needs a doctor." She whispered. The other three girls nodded.

"There's no need for a doctor." Sousuke didn't even look at his arm. "A thorough cleansing of the wound and a simple field-dressing will suffice." He blinked at the incredulous stares he received. "Did I say something wrong?"

"How can you stand there and be so-" Kaname struggled for the word, "nonchalant!" The boy was incredibly dense. "What if something's broken?" She yelled.

"I've already checked for breaks and lacerations." He held out the arm to the blue-haired girl. "But you're right. A second evaluation is a good precaution."

"Wha? What do you mean?" Kaname backed away from the boy's injured arm. "Second evaluation?"

"Didn't you wish to probe for breaks or tears?" Sousuke asked simply. "I thought you were concerned about a possible fracture?"

"EEWW!" All four girls recoiled.

"I don't want to touch it you freak!" Kaname yelled.

"Then why did you insist?" Sousuke began.

"A doctor you moron! A doctor should look at it!" Kaname huffed. "I don't believe you! Argh!" She turned away in disgust.

Maya and Mayuko smirked. Kaname was obviously alright. Kyouko leaned close and took a picture of Sousuke's injury.

"But I don't require a doctor." Sousuke was confused at the girl's anger.

"Shut up! I'm not talking to you! " Kaname stormed away.

Two hours later Kaname sighed as she slid into the seat on the train. It was twilight and the train was nearly deserted. Her arm had been looked over by a paramedic who'd pronounced it fine. He gave her an ice pack to put on it and returned to the ambulance.

Of Sousuke Sagara she saw no sign.

Finally, after talking to the police for hours she was released and allowed to go home. Her friends, especially Kyouko, had had to go home earlier so she was now alone. "Oh." She moaned. "This sucks." She leaned her head against the window and watched the cityscape flash past.

A silhouette in the window made Kaname turn around. Across the train car, one section down someone was reading a newspaper. She frowned. She was certain no one had been there at the last stop. Kaname jolted as realization struck and she shot to her feet.

She marched over to the reading passenger and growled. When she got no response she snatched the paper away to reveal one Sousuke Sagara. "Stop following me!"

"Ms. Chidori?" Sousuke blinked. "What a coincidence-"

"Don't give me that!" Kaname snapped. "This paper is four years old!" She shook the paper in question. She shifted slightly as the train slowed for a stop.

"I hardly see how my selection of reading material should concern you." Sousuke starred up at the girl. "Are you a self-conscious person?"

"Self-conscious?" Kaname sputtered. "No, I'm not." She whacked the young sergeant in the head with his paper. "I just want you to stop following me!"

"I don't know where you get these ideas from Ms. Chidori?" Sousuke shook his head. "I'm not following you."

"Is that so?" Kaname smirked as a idea occurred to her. "Fine then." She dashed off the train just as it's doors closed for this stop. She smiled as Sousuke jumped up and ran after her but was stopped by the closing door. "Bye you crazy military freak!" She waved as the train began to pull away.

Kaname gasped as Sousuke wrenched open one of the passenger windows and threw himself out of the moving train. The teen landed on the platform hard and crashed into a bench.

"Sousuke! Sousuke Sagara!" Kaname run up to the boy and kneeled next to him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay." Sousuke said slowly. He sat up and looked around.

"Are you crazy? What possessed you to do something so stupid?" Kaname snapped. "Are you trying to kill yourself?"

"No, I just felt like getting off at this station." Sousuke stood up.

Kaname groaned and stood as well. "I don't believe this." She fell into the bench Sousuke had crashed into. "What are you trying to do to me?" She glanced sideways as Sousuke sat down next to her. "Let me guess. You deciding to sit here-"

"It's just a coincidence." Sousuke deadpanned.

Kaname buried her face in her hands and muttered. "Of all the stalkers, I get this weirdo." Receiving no response, she peeked at Sousuke's profile as he starred straight ahead. Her eyes fell to his arm, which had a bandage wrapped around it. It looked like it had started to bleed again.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Kaname asked. She looked away when Sousuke turned toward her.

"Yes, I'm fine." He answered. "Thank you for your concern." He turned back to watching the area for trouble.

Kaname regarded the boy next to her. He was unlike any other boy, or person for that matter, she knew. Even though he followed her everywhere, he didn't try to peek up her skirt or hit on her, or anything else. And he did save her life. She blinked as she noticed his eyes slowly glancing over the area around them.

"_Is he looking for something?" _She wondered. "Hey Sousuke, tell me why you keep following me around. I promise I won't get mad." She turned to face the teen boy earnestly. "Don't I at least deserve that?"

"I'm sorry." Sousuke looked at Kaname apologetically. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't give me that!" Kaname yelled. At the Mithril's sergeant blank stare she sighed. She was about to smack him when a thought trickled into her mind. "Sousuke, what's the story between you and Crispin?" She asked with a smile.

"Daniels?" Sousuke scowled at the mechanic's name. "What do you mean?" He turned away and tried to look unaffected. This conversation had taken a turn he didn't like.

"Oh, you know what I mean?" She said sweetly and leaned forward. She put a hand on his shoulder. "You two obviously don't get along. I want to know why?" She drew the last out as a purr.

"I-" Sousuke swallowed. His hands fisted on his knees and he felt sweat run down his back. His mind screamed at him to retreat, but he was unable to act "I don't know." He finally answered.

"That's it." Kaname's eyes narrowed and her hand dug into his shoulder. "That's the best you can do?"

"Back at the Tua…" Sousuke coughed. "I mean the restaurant we worked at Daniels was always belligerent." Sousuke shrugged. "I don't know what he has against me, but we've …never gotten along." He bowed his head.

Kaname starred at him a long time. "No, it's okay." Kaname sighed and released his shoulder. "I think I understand now. You're so straight-laced and," she struggled for the word, "accommodating. And he's… well not." She shook her head and laughed. "It's amazing you didn't kill each other yesterday, or at that job of yours."

"Well, it was a big… restaurant." Sousuke explained.

"Then it's a good thing you're in different classes!" Kaname laughed in return.

"Yes, it is." Sousuke agreed gravelly. "Otherwise, we'd never leave the detention hall." He smiled slightly at the last.

"Oh my god!" Kaname gaped. "Was that a joke? Sousuke Sagara, telling jokes? Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" She placed her hand on Sousuke's forehead. "You don't seem to have a fever."

"I fine." Sousuke pushed her hand away. "I do have a sense of humor you know."

"You wish!" Kaname jumped up with a laugh. "You've got a long ways to go before you can call that a sense of humor." She snickered at the pole-axed expression on his face.

"I'll keep that under advisement." Sousuke nodded.

"Sousuke, do you have a girl?" Kaname suddenly asked. At his confused look, she elaborated. "You know, a lover or some such?"

"No, I have no acquaintance of that nature." Sousuke answered and then frowned. "It's strange but my team…er a colleague of mine once said that even if she was from the remotest reaches of the tundra, no girl would ever want to be my girlfriend." He was startled by Kaname's laughing. "Do you know what he means?"

Kaname held her side as she laughed. "You're friend…sure has you pegged!" At Sousuke's puzzled features she laughed harder. "Don't worry about it." She finally said after the laughter stopped. "Maybe someday you'll find a nice girl who'll understand you." She smiled.

"You seem like a nice girl, Ms. Chidori." Sousuke pointed out innocently.

"No no, I wasn't talking about me!" Kaname protested and whirled away. "No way!" She shuddered at the thought. The only person she could think of that would be worse was Crispin Daniels.

"Very well." Sousuke nodded. He ignored the hollow feeling in his stomach at the blue-haired girl's words. "I'll disregard what you said."

"You're a strange one. You know that?" Kaname giggled. She turned back to the Mithril sergeant.

"Strange what?" Sousuke frowned.

Kaname just laughed.

* * *

The ring of the phone reached Kaname's ears as she pulled out the keys for her apartment. She quickly unlocked the door and grabbed the phone. "Hello." She said as she shut and locked her door. "Hello?" She frowned when she heard a click and then the dial tone. "Stupid prank calls."

"_Hello?"_

At a phone booth two blocks away, Gauron smirked. He hung up and casually walked down the street away from Kaname's apartment. He had learned everything he needed to know when the girl answered her phone. It was almost imperceptible, but it was there.

_Mithril._

The mercenary smirked as he turned the corner and left Kaname's neighborhood.

The phone rang again and Kaname snatched it up. "Look, I'm sick of your games!"

"Uh, Kaname?" Kyouko's voice sounded unsure.

"Oh, Kyouko." Kaname flushed in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I thought you were a prank caller."

"That's okay." Kyouko chirped. After a pause she apologized. "Sorry, I had to leave like that."

"Don't worry about it." Kaname reassured her friend. "Nothing changed after you left, in case you were wondering. I had to answer the same stupid questions they asked the three times before you left."

"Oh, what about your arm?"

"It's fine. Just a bad bruise they said." Kaname explained airily. "Of course, I'll have to wear long sleeves until it heals. Oh no!" She wailed and fell on her couch in despair.

"What is it?"

"The school trip. We're going to Okinawa next week and I got this big ugly blotch on arm." Kaname complained. "Why me?" She stared up at the ceiling in despair. "And I was going to get a new swim suit too!"

"There, there." Kyouko reassured her friend. "Maybe no one will notice." She added helpfully.

"No one notice?" Kaname sat up. "They'd have to be blind not to notice! Oh." She cradled her head in her hand. "Can we please not talk about this?" She asked miserably.

"Sure." Kyouko quickly agreed. "So did anything good happen on the way home tonight?" She teased.

* * *

Melissa Mao frowned at the prank call Kaname received. According to the tap it came from a phone booth just two blocks away. She keyed the mike on her headset and called Kurz. "Urzu-6 this Urzu-2. Over?" She frowned when she got no answer. "Urzu-2 to Urzu-6. Do you copy? Over."

"_Six here. Over."_

"Where the hell were you?" Melissa snapped. "When I call you better respond immediately!"

"_Hey calm down, babe! I was just cleaning the M9 and it took me a little longer to answer."_

"Cleaning the M9? Why?" Melissa asked. Something wasn't right.

"_Oh, some guy tossed a wad of gum on it. I'm trying to scrape it off before it hardens." _

"Some guy?" Melissa exclaimed. "You were compromised?" She stood up in alarm.

"_Take it easy! Sheesh, I didn't say that. It was just some guy littering. Tossed his gum right on the ground, or he would've if the M9 hadn't been there." _

"Understood." Melissa remained standing. "But never mind that now. Urzu-6, I want you to check out a phone booth on block-2 north east corner. Somebody just made a prank call to _Angel. _Over."

"_Urzu-2.I copy. Give me five mikes. Six Out."_

Melissa sighed and made note of the time on her watch. "Something isn't right." She waited patiently as the seconds ticked by for Kurz to check back in. She chambered a round in her weapon while she waited. Just to be sure.

"_Urzu-2 this is Urzu-6. Over." _Kurz's voice crackled over the radio three and a half minutes later.

"Urzu-6 this is Urzu-2. What's the SitRep? Over." She resisted the urge to sigh as she sat her weapon down on the table.

"_Urzu-2 the booth was clean. No prints or sign of tampering. I placed an CD/AS in case our friend comes back. Over."_

"Urzu-6. Good work. Get the M9 stowed and return to base. Over."

"_Roger Urzu-2. Anything else I should bring on the way home? Over." _

"Negative Urzu-6." She chuckled at Kurz's antics. "Just get back to base. Two Out."

* * *

Kurz spotted Sousuke as he walked up the stairs to the safe house. "Hey, wait up!" He called to his teammate. "Man, what a day eh?" He nudged the young sergeant in the ribs. "You get to be our _Angel's_ hero and I get the best seat in town."

"Best seat in town?" Sousuke looked at Kurz in confusion.

"Yep! Best seat in town for spotting the ladies." Kurz chortled at his good fortune.

"I can spot females just fine from my position on the ground." Sousuke frowned at the blonde sergeant.

"Well, if your satisfied with whatever's available." Kurz scoffed. "But up there." He slowly swept his hand before him. "You got the pick of the litter." He winked at Sousuke.

They reached the floor of the safe house and walked down the hall when Sousuke frowned again. "I doubt they are anymore appealing than Ms. Chidori." He reached to unlock the door.

"Wait a minute!" Kurz jaw was wide-open. "Did you just admit that you found Chidori attractive?" He couldn't believe it. Sousuke Sagara checking out women? Kurz was sure hell was freezing over at that moment.

"Isn't that what we were discussing?" Sousuke asked. He was confused about his teammate's reaction. When he got no answer he opened the door and stepped into their safe house that doubled as LP/OP.

"I don't believe it!" Kurz laughed and slapped Sousuke on the back. "I guess there's hope for you after all!"

"Hope for what?" Sousuke staggered from Kurz's blow. He was even more confused now.

"Forget it!" Kurz snickered. "I'll tell you when your older."

Knowing he'd receive no more answers, Sousuke nodded and continued into the safe house. However, he stopped in surprise as he reached the main living area.

"What the hell?" Kurz stopped as well and gazed around in shock. The entire apartment was glistening. The floors were freshly scrubbed and waxed and every vertical surface shinned.

"Oh, do you like what I've done with the place?" Melissa laughed from her seat by the monitoring and communication equipment.

"Since when did you become domestic?" Kurz asked in disbelief.

"Who said anything about me?" Melissa grinned. Kurz was about to ask what she meant when Crispin Daniels suddenly came out of the hall leading to the bathroom.

"I got the last of the fucking mildew in the grout!" Crispin cursed. He was wearing a rubber apron and cleaning gloves. In his hand was a very worn toothbrush. "So much for goddamn Japanese cleanliness!" He paused when he noticed the two sergeants gaping at him. "What's your problem?" He tossed the toothbrush in a nearby trashcan in disgust.

"Daniels! You did this?" Kurz exclaimed. He looked back and forth between the smirking Melissa and the fuming Lance Corporal. "Priceless! Oh god, I wish I had a camera right now!" He roared with laughter. "What brought this on?" He finally asked.

"I thought the place could use a little sprucing up." Melissa said still smiling. "And Cpl. Daniels here was kind enough to volunteer since the two of you were on duty." She turned her attention to the scowling Crispin and her smile widened. "Isn't that right Daniels?"

"Yes, Sgt. Major." Crispin's jaw tightened. He yanked the gloves off his hands and cursed again.

Kurz and Sousuke exchanged glances. They knew the AS mechanic would never volunteer for clean-up duty. Kurz stepped forward to slap a hand on Crispin's shoulder. "That's real great of YOU-!" He cried out as he slipped on the waxed surface and had to catch himself on the corner of the entryway. "What the hell? How many coats of wax did you put on here?" He scrambled to get his feet back underneath him.

"Just four," Crispin glared at the blonde AS pilot. "You got a problem with that?"

"Yeah I do. I can't even walk on the floor because it so damn slippery!" Kurz finally righted himself and sighed. To his annoyance Sousuke walked across the floor with ease and took a seat at the table by Melissa.

Crispin tracked Sousuke's path before he answered Kurz, "That's your problem Weber, not mine." He had hoped Sagara would slip too. He turned to Melissa. "Is everything to your satisfaction, Sgt. Major?" He grated out.

"Oh, it's adequate." Melissa waved airily. She opened her mouth to dismiss the corporal when a thought occurred to her. "Don't you have something to do now, hmm?" She asked innocently. "Something about _Angels?_" She grinned at the last.

Crispin looked between the Sgt. Major and Sousuke and back. "No way. You can forget it! I'd rather take the bullet!" He crossed his arms in defiance. With an apron on the pose looked ridiculous. Kurz laughed at the sight. Sousuke watched impassively and Melissa's grin widened.

"Don't be like that." Melissa cooed. "You were going to do it anyway. Why not just get it out of the way?" She battered her eyes for effect. Crispin stood there with clenched fist, and the three Mithril soldiers swore they could hear the sound of grinding teeth.

"Fine." He bit out. "I'll do it now." Crispin stomped up to Sousuke, drew a deep breath, and… did nothing. He swallowed and tired to speak but the words refused to come out. At Melissa's smirk and Sousuke's confused stare he finally spoke.

"I'm sorry!" Crispin said. "What I did yesterday was uncalled for and endangered the mission." He bowed deeply before the stunned sergeant. "I'm very sorry, and it'll never happen again." He paused and grimaced. "I have no right to ask, but I hope you can forgive me." He'd never felt so humiliated in his life. After a long pause he finally rose.

Melissa and Kurz both snickered at the sight, but Sousuke had a serious look on his face. "Very well. I accept your apology." Sousuke finally said. He stood and gave Crispin a very shallow bow in return.

"What?" Kurz blurted. "You're going to let him off the hook that easy?" He starred in amazement as Sousuke nodded.

"He apologized and has been punished." He indicated the clean safe house. "And he's said it won't happen again." He regarded Crispin. "I see no reason to dwell on it any further."

Kurz just groaned in disappointment and Melissa nodded in approval.

"So can I go now Sgt. Major?" Crispin asked. "Unlike you SRT jocks, I don't have the luxury of sitting around all day."

"Sure, you're dismissed." Melissa frowned at the corporal's words but decided to let them slide.

Crispin wasted no time stripping the apron off and walking out the door.

"What? You going to let him go after talking like that?" Kurz demanded as Crispin walked out the door. He wasn't so willing to let the slight pass.

"I said yes. So, drop it!" Melissa snapped as the front door to the safe house closed shut.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: From this point on things will start to deviate from the canon series. Hope you enjoy the ride as much as I do ! :)  
**

**The Devil Inside**

Chapter 10

Kyouko Tokiwa smiled and snapped a picture of a little boy racing around with a toy airplane. She suppressed a giggle when the boy's frazzled mother finally caught him and scolded him for getting in people's way. Kyouko looked around and had to agree with the mother. They were in one of Tokyo's busiest shopping districts. No place for a little boy to be getting under foot.

The twin-braided girl glanced at her wrist watch, 9:45 a.m. Kaname was late. It was Sunday and Kyouko wanted to get to the shops early and beat the crowds. That would only happen if Kaname hurried up. She sighed again and sat down on a nearby bench.

"Hurry up Kaname." Kyouko propped her face in her hands and idly watched the crowds for the blue-haired girl. After a few minutes she still didn't see her best friend, but she did spot someone she knew. Kyouko jumped to her feet and raced over to a stocky teen consulting a piece of paper. "Cris!" She called out in excitement.

Crispin Daniels looked up from his shopping list. He quickly spotted Kyouko waving and running toward him. He scowled and when the girl reached him snapped. "Don't call me that!"

"What are you doing Cris?" Kyouko ignored his outburst.

"Shopping." Crispin said slowly. They were in the shopping district after all.

"I guessed that." Kyouko giggled. "But what are you shopping for?"

"Books." Crispin held up the piece of paper in his right hand. He was about to elaborate when the flash of Kyouko's camera went off in his face. "Gah, warn me before you do that!" He waved the hand in front of him.

"Okay." Kyouko laughter turned to shock. "Oh My God! Cris your hand!" Kyouko pointed at his right hand.

"What about it?" Crispin held up his right hand. It was no longer covered in gauze and medical tape. Seeing the girl's expression he shrugged. "It's finally healed. See?" After transferring the paper he carried to his left hand, he flexed it and made a fist for the girl's benefit.

"That's great Cris! I'm so happy for you!" Kyouko clapped happily.

"Thanks, but this doesn't mean you can latch on to it whenever you want, okay?"

"Okay Cris." Kyouko pouted but quickly perked up. "So what are you looking for?" She snatched the piece of paper Crispin held with a laugh.

"Hey!" Crispin tried to grab it back, but Kyouko skipped out of reach. He shook his head and sighed. "Okay, geez, if you wanted to know so bad you could've asked."

"I did." Kyouko pointed out with a grin. "But you weren't being very helpful." She read the paper as Crispin glowered. "_Perspectives in Molecular Toxinology?_ What kind of reading list is this?" Kyouko asked confused.

"Can I have it back?" Crispin asked. "And stop calling me that!" He demanded as he took the paper back from the brown-haired girl.

"But I like Cris!" Kyouko protested.

"Well, I don't!"

"Why not?" Kyouko innocently asked.

"Because," Crispin grimaced in distaste, "Cris is a butcher's name or a ditch digger's or worse an actor's!" He shuddered at the last.

Kyouko laughed. "Well, I think it's cute!"

"That's not helping your case any." Crispin frowned. "I am not cute." The last thing he needed was somebody like Weber, or Mao, calling him cute. The thought made him cringe. "So stop calling me that."

"Okay, I didn't know it upset you so much." Kyouko sighed.

"I've told you to stop since we met." Crispin pointed out. At the girl's miserable sigh he fidgeted, "Come on. Don't be like that, Kyouko." Seeing the girl's dejected look he groaned. "I… damn!" He sighed, "I guess it's okay. If it means that much to you. To use it occasionally. If you want." He shrugged and looked away in embarrassment.

"Yay! Thanks Cris!" Kyouko clapped. Her high spirits returned. She was about to hug him when his up held hand stopped her.

"Don't over do it."

"Sure." Kyouko nodded happily.

"So, what are you doing out here?" Crispin finally asked.

"Shopping." Kyouko giggled as she used his own words against him.

"What kind of shopping?" Crispin rolled his eyes at the girl. Kyouko could be a handful to talk to. She had energy enough for ten people.

"Clothes." She answered simply. At Crispin's glare she smiled and elaborated. "Kaname wants to buy a new swim suit for our school trip and she asked me to come along."

"Why?" Crispin asked.

"Why what?" Kyouko returned the question.

"Why -never mind." He turned away. "I got work to do."

"Wait!" Kyouko pleaded and grabbed his arm. At his questioning look she stammered. "C-can I help?"

"Aren't you waiting for Kaname?' Crispin asked.

"She's late and I'm tired of waiting." Kyouko explained. "And besides she can call me when she decides to show up!" She beamed proudly at her plan.

"Fine. Sure, you can help." Crispin conceded. "This store didn't have what I needed. But the clerk suggested this place across the street." He indicated another bookstore on the other side of the street they stood on.

When they had made their way across the street and into the store, Crispin handed the list to Kyouko. "You check that section. I'll look over here." He turned to begin searching when Kyouko stopped him.

"Cris, these are medical books." She indicated the list she held. At his nod she asked concerned, "What do you need medical books for?"

Crispin regarded the girl quietly. He didn't want to lie, but he needed them to make sense of the data Kalinin had sent him. However, he could not tell Kyouko that. So he did the only thing he could. "Nakumura-Sensei assigned them to me as part of my extra assignments."

"I'm sorry, Cris. That's a lot of work." Kyouko felt bad for the boy.

"Bah, don't worry about it. I can take whatever that woman can dish out." He waved off her concern. "Just see if you can find anything on the list." He turned and began his own search.

Kyouko studied the list Crispin had given her dubiously: _Perspectives in Molecular Toxinology, _by A. Macnez_, Stedman's Medical Dictionary,_by Thomas Lathrop Stedman, _Essential Psychopharmacology : Neuroscientific Basis and Practical Applications,_by Stephen M. Stahl, and more.

She glanced back at the stocky boy as he browsed the biology section. What kind of assignment would require textbooks like these? Kyouko knew the College Entrance Exams were supposed to be difficult, extremely difficult even, but this seemed way out of any high-schoolers league. "W_hat's going on?" _She wondered.

After forty-five minutes. The two teens walked to the register. They'd found four of the five books on Crispin's list. All the one's Kyouko had noted plus _Metabolic Engineering: Principles and Methodologies._

"Don't worry about it." Crispin assured the girl. "This is a lot better than I expected." The cashier totaled his charges and Crispin handed over his credit card.

"Are you sure, Cris?' Kyouko asked worriedly. "Nakumura-Sensei's really upset at you. She may make you miss the school trip." Kyouko bit her lip at the thought. She hoped the boy would be able to go to Okinawa with them.

"No she won't. I already paid my fees. The tickets and hotel reservations have been made. She can't cancel them this late even if she wanted to." Crispin frowned at the idea of the school trip. The fees had but a huge dent in his meager finances. As was illustrated by the cashier tapping him on the shoulder.

"Sir, I'm afraid your card was rejected." The cashier said apologetically.

"What?" Crispin resisted the urge to curse. "_Damn that Old man!" _He raged internally.

"Uh Cris," Kyouko hesitated. "If you need some. I'll be happy to-"

"No!" Crispin cut the girl off. He winced at her start. "Thanks, but I got it." He turned to the cashier and pulled out his wallet. "Alright, I'll pay for this," he slapped his hand on _Stedman's Medical Dictionary, _"with this." He pulled out the last of his cash, 7,000 Yen, and handed it to the cashier. "And charge the rest to the card." The cashier did as he instructed and it all went thru.

"Here's your change." The cashier handed Crispin less than 400 Yen. "And, I'm sorry about the difficulties." The cashier bowed in apology.

"Forget it!" Crispin snapped. He pocketed his change, scooped up his purchases, and left the bookstore as quickly as possible. "_Barely three weeks into the mission and I'm already broke." _He thought darkly as he walked outside. "_Damn that Russky!"_

"Cris, are you okay?" Kyouko asked worriedly. "You look really angry."

"Huh, no I'm okay. These just set me back a lot more than I would've liked." Crispin reassured the girl.

"Kyouko, there you are!" A female voice interrupted the two. Both teens turned and saw Kaname Chidori stalking toward them. "I told you to meet me by the bench. Where were you?" Kaname demanded.

"I waited almost half an hour, Kaname." Kyouko said. "But you never called, so when Cris asked me to help him I agreed."

"I didn't-OW!" Crispin yelped when the bespectacled girl stepped on his foot.

"I did call!" Kaname ignored Crispin's yelp. "But you never answered." The blue-haired girl fumed at her friend. "How could you just leave without telling me?"

"Don't be mad. I brought my phone and never got a call. See?" Kyouko held up her cell phone for Kaname to see.

"Kyouko," Kaname growled when she saw the phone. "It isn't even turned on!"

"Opps!" Kyouko laughed as she hurriedly switched her phone on.

Kaname and Crispin sighed.

"So what have you guys been up to?' Kaname asked and gestured toward the two large sacks Crispin carried.

"Oh, Crispin's studying for his College Entrance Exams!" Kyouko said brightly. "Isn't that cool!"

Crispin stared at Kyouko_. "What is with her?" _He wondered.

"Wow! Even the all-wise all-knowing Crispin Daniels fears the Entrance Exams, huh?" Kaname teased.

"Hardly." Crispin drawled. "But I refuse to accept anything but the best." He shrugged. He had no problem playing along with Kyouko's little white lie. "Well, I won't keep you girls any longer." Crispin shifted his bags. "I'll catch you later."

"Cris." Kyouko hesitated.

"Hey, why don't you come with us?" Kaname asked seeing her friend's distress. "Besides, you could use some new clothes." She surveyed his clothes dubiously to accentuate her point. Kyouko nodded in agreement.

"What?" Crispin asked. He looked down at himself. He was dressed in his only real non-school outfit. A (slightly worn) dark-purple button up short-sleeve shirt, black pants (sans belt) and a pair of old running shoes. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" He demanded.

Kaname and Kyouko shared a look and answered in stereo. "The shoes!"

"What about my shoes?" Crispin said sourly.

"They're worn out and dirty." Kyouko pointed out helpfully.

"They're comfortable." Crispin defended.

"They look tacky!" Kaname exclaimed.

"I don't care!" Crispin shouted back. "Unlike, you I can't throw away money to have the latest fashion!" He sighed in exasperation. "I don't need this." He turned to go.

"Cris!" Kyouko asked quickly. "Can't you at least stay for lunch?"

"Come on, it was just a joke!" Kaname shook her head at the sulky teen. Crispin glared back at her and Kaname stuck out her tongue. "You look fine, really."

"Alright," Crispin sighed. "Now that you mention it, lunch does sound like a good idea." He turned back to the girls, "Okay, you're on."

They walked though the shopping district looking for a good place to eat when Crispin asked Kaname. "Hoping to catch some guy's eye at the beach?"

"W-what?" Kaname jumped at the mechanic's question. "What gave you that idea?"

"Kyouko said you wanted a new swim suit." Crispin shrugged. "Considering the timing and all I figured you were looking to hook up with some guy -OW!" Kaname smacked him with her purse. "What was that for?"

"You know exactly what it's for!" Kaname huffed. "You are so vulgar!" She stomped away from the irritating boy.

"Fine, princess." Crispin groused. "But warn me next time you decide to assault me! Geez," He tried to rub the back of his head, but was prevented by his purchases. "That hurt you know." He whined.

"That's the point!" Kaname shot back.

"Hey, don't be like that guys." Kyouko played peacemaker between them. However, the hyper girl was soon distracted. "Look, a noodle shop! Let's eat there!" Before Kaname or Crispin could protest the bespectacled girl rushed off.

"That girl's going to kill me." Kaname and Crispin sighed in stereo. They looked at each other and burst out laughing. At Kyouko's insistent call they hurried to the noodle shop.

* * *

"That hit the spot." Crispin rubbed his stomach and leaned back. Kaname and Kyouko were still eating. Or at least Kaname was. Kyouko was staring intently at Crispin's soda cup. After a moment of intense study the girl pulled out her camera and took a picture of the cup.

"Why do you do that?" Crispin asked curious. He'd seen some of her photos when he built her new camera, but he could not understand what it was she was photographing. It looked like random everyday stuff to him.

"Um, I don't know." Kyouko shrugged in embarrassment. "I just like to take photos of …things." She lowered her eyes and studied her bowl of noodles.

Kaname watched silently as Crispin considered the camera girl's words.

"I don't get it. What things?" He finally asked.

"I, uh, like to take pictures of interesting things." She whispered and stared at the table

"Interesting things?" At her nod Crispin's shrugged. "Okay, that makes sense, I guess." His forehead scrunched up and he asked. "You think my soda is interesting?"

"No, the water from the condensation, uh, it looked like a Kappa." She blushed.

Crispin blinked. When he was sure he had heard the girl right he blinked again. "HA!" He laughed. "You're serious?" At her solemn look he snickered. "That's crazy!" He looked at Kyouko and burst out laughing. "You're such a freak!" After he had calmed, he patted her on the head. "Don't ever change." He sat back with a chuckle.

Kyouko stared at the boy. Unsure what to do or say. Kaname however, had no such problem. The blue-haired girl hit Crispin in the back of the head.

"What was that for?" Crispin demanded.

"You shouldn't say such things!" Kaname scolded. "It's rude."

"Rude?" Crispin was incredulous. "It was a compliment!"

"What kind of compliment was that?" Kaname scoffed. "You don't tell a girl she's a freak."

"I meant it in a good way!" Crispin yelled.

"Stop it!" Kyouko yelled at the two. When she had their attention she pleaded, "Will you two please stop fighting?" At her look they both sheepishly nodded.

"You believe me when I said I meant it in a good way, right Kyouko?" Crispin asked after an awkward silence.

"I believe you." Kyouko smiled at the older boy.

"Good." He sighed and grinned. "Besides, I had to pay you back for all those times you've called me Cris." He laughed when Kyouko and Kaname flung noodles at him.

* * *

"God, this is boring." Kurz Weber fought back a yawn as he watched _Angel_ eat noodles with her friend and Daniels. "Why can't there be any action?"

"_It's a stakeout. It's not supposed to be fun you moron!"_

Kurz winced as Melissa's voice raged over the tac-net. "Argh! Okay, no need to blow my ear out." The blonde sergeant frowned. "But come on. There is something seriously wrong with the world, when yours truly is sitting all by his lonesome and Daniels is eating lunch with two beautiful babes!" He scowled at the injustice.

"_Shut up! Urzu-6, are you trying to piss me off? You're the one who offered to take Sousuke's place. So quit complaining!" _

"I am taking this seriously!" Kurz protested. "And Sousuke needed the rest, but come on? Daniels? I mean really! Those girls can do better a helluva lot better than him!" He shook his head in sorrow.

"_Like you? Don't make me laugh!"_

"Don't knock it till ya try it babe." Kurz retorted.

"_You wish Weber! I'll kick your teeth in if you keep this shit up! Now pay attention and quit bitching!"_

"Alright, fine." Kurz took his earpiece out and shook his head. His head was ringing after that last transmission. He looked up and saw _Angel _and the other two teens leaving. He quickly stood from his own table across the street and followed. At the next block, Daniels turned toward the train stop and waved goodbye.

As the girl's returned the mechanic's wave and moved on, Kurz smiled. "Perfect!"

"So what kind of swim suit are you going to get for the class trip Kaname?" Kyouko asked excitedly after seeing Crispin off to the train.

"I don't know, but anything's got to be better than that boring old suit the school provided." She indicated her right elbow and sighed. "I just hope I can find something that'll work with this."

"It'll be alright." Kyouko tried to reassure her friend.

Suddenly a handsome blonde man leapt from what seemed like nowhere and stood in front of the two girls.

"Hey, pretty Japanese girls!" Kurz said with outstretched arms and a big smile.

* * *

That night, Sousuke's eyes snapped open when he heard a noise in the hall leading to the safe house. He rolled out from under his bunk and smoothly drew his weapon. He moved to the threshold of the front door just as it swung open. An eye blink later he had the muzzle of his pistol shoved under the intruder's jaw.

"Gee, Sagara." A voice drawled. "You always this jumpy or you just happy to see me?"

Sousuke blinked and recognized the madly grinning face of Crispin Daniels. He stepped back but did not lower his weapon. "Daniels, how did you get in here?"

"That's what I'd like to know?" Melissa Mao demanded from across the room. She was crouched behind an upended table, her weapon still trained on Crispin.

"Easy, with this." Crispin held up a key and smirked.

"What the hell?" Melissa stood up and advanced on the AS engineer. "You're not supposed to have that! What if you're compromised?" What she left unsaid was the accusation that it could be Crispin who did the compromising.

"You never asked." Crispin pointed out.

"Damnit! Daniels I-" Melissa snapped.

"Hey, what's all the –hic-shouting for?" Kurz interrupted as he walked in. He wobbled slightly and his face was flushed. "I could hear all the way down the hall. And it's giving me –hic-a head-ache."

"Drunk while on duty I see." Sousuke said reproachfully.

"I'm not drunk!" Kurz whirled on Sousuke and almost fell over. "I only meant to have one beer. One beer! But that Kyouko just kept pouring more!"

Sousuke frowned and was about to question Kurz further when he was interrupted.

"What about Kyouko?" Crispin rounded on Kurz. "What the hell have you been doing?" He grabbed the blonde sergeant by the collar and dragged Kurz toward him. "Answer me you piece of-" Crispin froze when he felt the tip of a pistol poke the back of his head.

"Let him go, now." Melissa said in a low voice.

"I'm getting real tired of this Sgt. Major." Crispin growled and shoved Kurz away.

"That makes two of us Daniels." The female Sgt. Major slowly lowered her weapon and turned back toward the surveillance equipment.

"Relax, Daniels. It's just a stakeout." Kurz grinned wickedly at the AS mechanic. He looked much more sober. "You jealous or something?"

Crispin features darkened, but Sousuke spoke first.

"You shouldn't have made contact." The young sergeant lectured. "Emotional attachments will jeopardize the mission."

"Oh, you're one to talk!" Kurz laughed good naturedly. He pushed past the two teens and flipped up a tipped over chair. "If I make nice with the girl, it'll be easier to protect her." He sat down with a sigh. "Man, I'm beat. Those girl's sure know how to party."

"Shut your mouth Weber!" Crispin strode forward, but was stopped when Kurz thrust a package he held into the corporal's face.

"Relax! What in the hell does that girl see in you?" At the mechanic's thunderous look he smiled. "Have an octopus ball. My treat!" Crispin was about to tell him where he could stick his balls, when they were interrupted by Melissa's urgent shout.

"Sousuke! Kurz! Get over here!" Immediately alert, the two sergeant's did as ordered with Crispin right behind. All three Mithril agents could see a masked figure scaling the side of Kaname's apartment.

"20:21 hours! Intruder spotted." Melissa noted the contact in her mission log as she snapped orders. "Urzu-6, get on the roof! Urzu-7, get over there and intercept the intruder. I'll provide backup in the M9!" She stood as her two roommates rushed out.

"What about me?" Crispin asked desperately.

"Judas-1." Melissa paused and scowled. "Stand fast!" She ran toward the door. Sousuke and Kurz were already outside.

"But!" Crispin protested.

"Stand Fast!" Melissa snapped and ran toward the M9.

"Useless!" Crispin cursed and turned back to the surveillance monitors.

"Urzu-6." Kurz called over the tac-net. "I'm in position. I don't see any support elements. Looks like our friend's flying solo." He had his custom made WA2000 trained on the figure climbing the side of _Angel's_ apartment.

"Be careful." Sousuke cautioned. "Never underestimate the enemy."

"I know that!" Kurz snapped. "Who do you think you're talking too?"

"Urzu-2 here. I'm standing by in the M9." Melissa interrupted. "According to the directional mic, _Angel's_ still in the shower. Urzu-7 drop this guy and get out of there before she's finished."

"Roger, Urzu-2." Sousuke finished tying off his repelling line on the roof of Kaname's apartment building. "I'm going in."

"Damn!" Crispin was impressed in spite of himself. Team-Urzu had gone from bickering like children to operating like seasoned professionals in the blink of an eye. In less than two minutes, they were in position to eliminate the threat to Kaname's life. A record even the world's most famed counter terrorism units could not match.

Crispin Daniels watched in awe as Sousuke rapidly repelled down the side of Kaname's building and dropped the intruder without making a sound. This was Mithril's best and brightest in action. And the AS Engineer had to agree with the commonly held assessment: Mithril's Special Response Teams were more than a match in training and capability to any of the world's premiere special forces.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Now things start to really deviate. I admit I was pretty scared taking that plunge, but I think the story's stronger for it. Hope you agree.  
**

**The Devil Inside**

Chapter 11

Sousuke landed behind the intruder on Kaname's balcony noiselessly. He covered the intruder's mouth with his hand. "Don't move." He whispered and dropped the assailant onto the balcony floor. With his knee pressed into the intruder's back Sousuke tore off the mask covering the assailant's face. "Be silent if you wish to live."

"I'm sorry!" The figure whispered. "Please don't kill me!"

Sousuke blinked. The voice sounded familiar. He checked the figure's ID and was shocked to see it was one of his class mates. "You're Shinji Kazuma." At the boy's hesitant nod Sousuke continued his questioning, "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't obvious? I-I'm a panty thief ." He shrugged or tried to at least.

"_Hey seven, check out what's in his hand_." Kurz instructed over the tac-net.

Sousuke brow furrowed, but he did as the blonde sergeant asked. "What-?" He stared at the silken object in his hand.

_"Panties! Pure-snow white panties!" _Kurz sighed.

_"Ugh! Urzu-6, Urzu-7 stand down." _Melissa's disgusted groan rang over the tac-net. _"God, I don't get paid enough for this."_

_ "Urzu-6. I'm heading home. Seven, grab a pair for me on your way out!" _Kurz chortled as he signed off.

Sousuke let his class-mate off the ground, but kept his weapon ready. "Explain yourself." He demanded.

"Sousuke?" Shinji adjusted his glasses. "Is that you?" He gasped when the sergeant raised his weapon.

"I'm afraid your mistaken." Sousuke warned. "Now talk."

"Well, I …that is I wanted to get my negatives back!" Shinji finally blurted.

"Quiet!" Sousuke hissed and glanced at the interior of Kaname's apartment. He could still hear the shower running and relaxed. "What negatives?"

"My photo negatives. The older students in photo club took them and wouldn't give them back unless I stole some of Chidori's panties." Shinji explained dejectedly. "They're some of my best ones too."

_"Those son of a bitches! I kill them!"_ Crispin's voice raged over the tac-net. Sousuke winced at the sound.

_"God damn it, Judas-1! Clear the channel!" _Melissa yelled.

_"It was Toshi and Nokigawa wasn't it? Wasn't it?" _The corporal roared._ "Ask him Sagara! Go ahead ask him!"_

_ "Daniels, I told you to clear the line!" _Melissa's voice echoed and there was a crash followed by a loud impact.

Sousuke frowned and peered across the street. He was not sure, but it sounded like the Sgt. Major had physically removed Daniels from the transmitter in the safe house.

"Uh, Sousuke?" Shinji asked timidly. "Is something wrong?" Maybe the others were right about Sousuke.

"No, everything's fine." Sousuke regarded the sixteen year old. "You said the older students in your club forced you to do this?"

"Yeah, uh, well mainly just the club president." Shinji sighed.

"President?" Sousuke asked suddenly suspicious at Daniels words. "Who's your club president?"

"Uh, N-Nokigawa." Shinji stammered. "You're not going to…" He trailed off.

"Was Toshi involved too?" Sousuke asked in shock. "_How did Daniels know they were behind this?" _He wondered.

"Toshi, from 3-2?" Shinji asked. "No, I've never really met him. It was just Nokigawa, the club president. He said I'd get my negatives back when I brought him …you know." He nervously waved his hand around the balcony to indicate the object of his four-story climb. "He said I needed the practice."

At Sousuke's wide-eyed look he quickly elaborated, "Practice getting closer to my subjects! All my work is long shots. I don't have any close-ups. But they won't let me up close to the AS's on the base." He muttered the last.

"How does that help improve taking photographs?" Sousuke asked suspicious. He saw no camera on Kazuma. Suddenly, Shinji's last words clicked in Sousuke's mind. "AS photos?"

"Yeah, I got shots of Arm Slaves in action from all over Japan!" Shinji gushed. "I even got a shot of the new Marine Corps M6!"

"Really?" Sousuke asked in interest.

"Looks like a match made in heaven." Melissa Mao chuckled as Sousuke and his class-mate fell into a discussion on the merits and flaws of the M6's Rockwell fire system. A groan made her turn in irritation. "Stop whining Daniels."

"Damn! Was that really necessary?" Crispin sat up and glared at Melissa. He had been thrown against the wall opposite of the transmitter. "That hurt!"

"I told you to get off the line." Melissa simply said. "Be thankful I didn't break your arm."

"Heh, I would've paid to see that!" Kurz laughed as he strolled back into the safe house. He smirked down at the glowering corporal. "Care for an encore Daniels?"

"Screw you, Weber!" Crispin snapped and pulled himself up.

_"DIE!" _

All three Mithril agents jumped when a female voice rang out over the microphone's speakers. They rushed to the window and saw a furious Kaname waving a bat and trying to hit Sousuke and Shinji. Sousuke managed to fend off most of her attacks until Shinji dropped over the side of the balcony. A few moments later Sousuke leapt over and used his line to rapidly descend to the ground. All the while Kaname was shouting and waving her bat. Dogs started barking and lights flicked on throughout the neighborhood.

"HAHAHA!" Crispin doubled over in laughter. "Did you see that? Serves the fuckers right!" He ignored the dark looks Kurz and Melissa shot him as he roared in laughter. "Thank you god!" He nearly wept for joy.

"Ugh! I don't need this." Melissa put her hand on her forehead. "Kurz, go see if Sousuke's still alive and get him back here." Melissa ordered while she eyed Crispin in distaste. "Daniels, shut up." Thankfully, the AS engineer had calmed down and only let out the occasional chuckle.

"I'm on it." Kurz nodded and headed out the door.

Melissa sighed and picked up the directional mic's headset. "When Kurz returns with Sousuke, I don't want to hear a word out of you Daniels, got it?" She growled while monitoring _Angel_.

"I won't say a word, Sgt. Major." Crispin chuckled and held up his hands in surrender. "I've seen enough to last me a life-time!" He chuckled again at the joyful image of a high-school girl beating the daylights out of the great Sousuke Sagara. As he chortled a sudden thought occurred to the AS engineer.

_Now, I know why Kyouko's always got that camera with her._

* * *

"Well, if she didn't before, Ms. Chidori definitely hates me now." Sousuke sighed as Kurz applied bandages to his injuries.

"Do you blame her?" Crispin snapped. The AS mechanic was seated at the main table and regarded the younger sergeant contemptuously. "I'd try to kill you too after the third or fourth time!"

"Third or fourth time?" Sousuke frowned.

"Weren't you listening?" Crispin shot from his chair. "This isn't the first time they've tried this shit!" He was practically shouting in anger. At Sousuke's stunned look he added, "You really ARE a dumb ass!"

"Daniels." Melissa growled in warning.

"Oh, get off your high horse Daniels!" Kurz snorted as he worked on Sousuke's injuries. "You're hardly one to be taking the moral high ground." He tapped off another bandage and shrugged. "It's a stupid, childish prank. No real harm done by it."

"No real harm?" Crispin choked in rage. "I'll show you harm!" He advanced threateningly on the blonde-sergeant. "They said she deserved it!" He yelled as he loomed over Kurz.

"Go ahead and try!" Kurz jumped to his feet. "You're one to talk about doing harm, Daniels!" He and the stocky mechanic glared at each other.

"Wait a minute!" Sousuke leapt between the two. Melissa was right beside him, trying to break them up as well. "What are you talking about?" Sousuke asked Crispin after he and Melissa had pulled the two apart.

Crispin seethed as he glared at the dark-haired sergeant. The mechanic was flushed with anger and once the edge of a violent rage. After several tense minutes he sighed and collapsed into a nearby chair.

"Toshi and Nokigawa. They tried to pressure me into doing the same thing my first week here." He indicated Kaname's apartment with his head. "I told them to fuck off." His hands clenched and his knuckles turned white. "Bastards said it was tradition." His voice fell to a whisper. "Said she deserved it for being so high and mighty."

"That's bullshit!" Kurz snorted and shook his head in disgust. "Kids these days."

Melissa raised an eyebrow at her teammate. "Weren't you the one calling it a harmless prank?" The blonde sergeant looked ready to take some high-school kid's head off.

"Hey, this isn't the same thing!" Kurz said defensively. The whir of the fax interrupted him. Everyone watched as Melissa tore the sheet from the machine and read the latest message from TDD-1.

"It's from the Old Man," She explained. "It says the enemy's research facility has been destroyed. _Angel _is no longer in danger." She looked up, "Our assignment is over."

"What?" Crispin cried. "It can't be over!"

Sousuke stared at Melissa, unsure what he felt when Kurz slapped him on the back.

"What a shame!" The blonde pilot said with mock sympathy. "It was such a short lived romance." He grinned at Crispin, "And it looks like you're going back to the stockade Daniels." Kurz snickered at the thought.

"Fuck off, Weber!" Crispin growled in warning. He was about to stand when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked up to see Melissa glaring at Kurz.

"Shut your hole Weber! That was uncalled for." Melissa snapped. The last thing she needed was her teammate ticking off Daniels.

"When are we expected back?" Sousuke asked.

"Hold on." Melissa shoved Crispin back down. "I'm not finished." She waved the piece of paper she held to emphasize her point. After the others had quieted she continued, "The mission is complete and you each have one weeks leave."

"A week off, that rocks!" Kurz whooped.

"Sousuke, you are to continue with your school trip as planned." Melissa smiled over Kurz's excitement. "You too Daniels." Seeing both teens stunned looks she read from the orders. "_The fee has been paid and you should make the most of it._"She smirked at the dumbfounded Sousuke, "I know it'll be hard, but try to control yourself at the beach. No panty stealing, got that Sagara?"

Sousuke snapped to attention. "Of course, I understand." At Melissa's laugh he frowned.

"It was a joke Sousuke!" The female Sgt. Major shook her head. Kurz laughed and Crispin muttered something under his breath.

"I understand." Sousuke said. Actually, he did not.

"Is there anything else?" Crispin asked. "In the orders."

"No, that's it. Why?" Melissa scanned the sheet of paper to make certain and shook her head negative.

"I-I just thought there'd be more." Crispin shrugged and slouched in his chair. He was surprised by the orders. He at least expected there to be some kind of demand for a status report on the data he'd received. "_What are you up to Old Man?" _Crispin thought darkly.

* * *

"Class two! Form a line over here please!" Kaname called out the next day, at Narita Airport. Everywhere students of Jindai High were milling about saying goodbye to families and friends before their trip to Okinawa. "Class two! Over here please!" Other class representatives were calling out for their classes to begin lining up as well.

"Ms. Chidori, I have a question." Sousuke ran up to the blue-haired girl. "Should I collect everyone's trash while they're still onboard the aircraft, or would it be better to collect it after they depart?"

"Don't talk to me!" Kaname whirled on the dark-haired sergeant. "Can't you see I'm busy!" She stormed off before Sousuke could say anything.

Sousuke stared at Kaname as she gathered up the members of their class. Her harsh words bothered him and he did not understand why.

"Well, I guess she's still mad." Shinji Kazama said conversationally and looked at Sousuke. "How would you feel if you found two guys chatting on your balcony with your panties?"

"I'd kick your ass." A voice growled behind them.

"Eek!" Shinji turned and saw the glowering form of Crispin Daniels from 3-5. He jumped behind Sousuke for safety. He had heard disturbing things about the American from his club president.

Sousuke regarded the mechanic warily. "What do you want Daniels?"

"Just here to chat, Sagara." Crispin drawled. He snorted when the sergeant's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Can the act, Sagara. Nobody's impressed by it." He smirked and glanced at the nervous Shinji, "Well except maybe your little girlfriend here."

"Hey!" Shinji weakly protested.

"Say what you have to say Daniels." Sousuke said in a low voice. Crispin's grin widened. Without warning his fist shot out straight for Sousuke's face. The Mithril Sergeant caught it in his own hand and stopped puzzled.

"Enjoy your trip Sagara." Crispin chortled and walked away. Sousuke stared at his hand that caught the mechanic's fist.

"What was that about?" Shinji asked worriedly. Seeing the dark-haired boy's puzzled frown he became concerned. "Is something wrong?" Sousuke looked up and held his hand out for the smaller boy to see. Shinji peered at the proffered hand and gasped. "My negatives!"

In Sousuke's hands were two rolls of film.

"So when do I get to check out the new suit?" Crispin mocked leered as he approached Kaname. He grunted when the girl elbowed him in the ribs.

"How about never!" Kaname said and pointed the class banner she carried at him. "You're going to have to work on your pick up lines if you want to get anything more than the time of day from a girl." She regarded him critically. "I'd suggest one of the local girls, none of them know what your like. You might actually have a chance with them."

"I don't know, I got more than the time of day from you just now." Crispin said with a smile.

"Please," Kaname scoffed. "I'd have to be dead before I dated you." She smiled as the stocky boy sputtered indignantly. "And you should be lining up with your own class!" She pointed her banner at the area where 3-5 was gathering. "Move it or lose it mister! And stop bothering me. Unlike you, I have responsibilities." She said the last with a sniff.

"Yeah, yeah." Crispin said. "I'll let you get back to your whip cracking!" He laughed and barely dodged her retaliatory swipe. "Later!" He waved as he walked away.

"Wait!" A female voice called out to Crispin. He turned and saw Kyouko running up toward him. She smiled and brought her camera and snapped a picture of his face.

"Argh!" Crispin cried out as spots danced before his eyes. "What was that for?"

"Have a good flight, Cris!" Kyouko laughed happily and ran back to her place in line. She waved at him as he scowled.

"Don't call me that!" Crispin called out. He turned and waved over his shoulder at the overly hyper camera girl. "_I should've gone for the lower watt flash!"_ He thought darkly.

"Uh, Sousuke you okay?" Shinji asked again.

The Mithril sergeant was staring intently at Kaname as she and Crispin conversed happily. He scowled when they laughed. And his fist clenched when Kaname took a playful swipe at the mechanic.

"You don't like that guy very much, do you Sousuke?" Shinji asked in surprise. Sousuke was a pretty easy going guy but now he looked furious.

"No I don't." Sousuke admitted through clenched teeth. He blinked, surprised at himself. The sergeant willed himself to relax. Seeing Chidori and Daniels speaking so familiarly bothered Sousuke a lot. The question was… why?

* * *

"What do you mean I've been bumped?" Gauron fought down his irritation as he stared at the stupid woman at the airport check in terminal.

"I'm very sorry sir. Flight 903 has been filled beyond capacity." The girl bowed to the glowering mercenary. "A high-school trip needed more seats…" She jumped when Gauron slapped his hand on the counter.

"You're telling me, I've being bumped so some whiny teenagers can frolic in the sun?" He leaned over the girl and growled. At the girl's whimper he pulled back and gave her a predatory grin. "I have a very important business meeting to attend. I hope you can understand this is very upsetting for me." He bared his teeth at the woman.

"Y-yes sir! I'm very sorry." She trembled. Somehow the dark man was more frightening when he smiled. "Would you," She hesitated to ask, "would you like to speak with my supervisor?"

"Yes, I would like that very much." Gauron smiled dangerously.

Fifteen minutes later, a furious Gauron stalked out of the airport terminal. The supervisor had been very conciliatory but ultimately unable to do anything but offer him a ticket on the next available flight to Naha. Having little choice, the mercenary accepted. However, the flight would not leave until 6:30 p.m.

"Damn!" He cursed as he walked to a black sedan parked outside the terminal. As he approached a tall dangerous looking man stepped out of the car. The man's head was shaved on the sides, leaving only a close cropped layer of hair on the top.

"Shouldn't you be on a plane?" The man asked conversationally.

"I got bumped." Gauron explained. He was about to say more when his cell-phone rang. He frowned and pulled it out. "It's me." Gauron spoke into the receiver.

"_Gauron! You've failed!" _Koh, the representative of the Khanka government, was extremely upset_. "My government does not tolerate fools! Do not think we will-" _

"Who says I've failed." Gauron interrupted the tirade coolly. "This is just a little setback. Even the best-laid plans suffer them time-to-time."

"_I'm not interested in your excuses!"_

"Please. We're both professionals. There's no need to yell. In fact, I've already set my fail-safe into motion." The mercenary nodded at his companion and then slid into the sedan. Once inside, his companion got into the driver's seat and pulled the car out of the airport terminal.

"Fail-safe? We never discussed anything about-"

"Do you want the girl or not?" Gauron countered briskly. He was tired of this fool's tirade. "If not, I'll be on my way and make the both of us happier." Gauron would too. He had been paid a hefty retainer fee for his services. So if forced to walk he would not do so at any financial loss. And of course, there were always other's willing to pay for the secrets of the Whispered.

"_No, that won't be necessary."_ Koh sighed and asked, _"What did you have in mind?"_

"I knew you'd see things my way." Gauron spoke as they exited the airport. "But I have to be honest. The risk factor is going to be a little more intensive, but I believe the pay off is well worth the effort." He smiled, "So if you don't mind, I'm going to need your government to make a few arrangements."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: And now our heroes enjoy their well-earned rest in sunny-Okinawa! :) I admit it was rather fun coming up with ideas for a school trip.  
**

**The Devil Inside**

Chapter 12

Kyouko frowned as she took her seat in the aircraft. She felt a little trepidation since she had never flown before, but Kaname had assured her there was nothing to worry about. Speaking of the blue-haired girl, Kyouko craned her neck to watch as her friend directed her classmates to their seats and insured she had an accurate head count. Still, there was something off about her friend today. She was acting strange.

"Ah." Kaname sighed as she sank into her seat next to Kyouko, it was on the aisle so her classmates, and Kawakawa-Sensei, could find her if they needed her. "I'll be glad when we get there. I'm already worn out." Her head rested against the headrest and Kaname stared dazedly ahead.

Kyouko sat up and looked around the aircraft cabin to see where everybody else was. She saw Crispin several rows forward on the opposite side of the aircraft. He too was in an aisle seat. She also spotted Sousuke talking with Kazama several rows back from her and Kaname's seats. She plopped back down and noticed her friend's dazed look. She grinned and poked her. When she got no reaction she poked Kaname again, this time in the face.

"W-what is it Kyouko?" Kaname finally blinked and looked at her friend.

"Are you okay? You've been acting really weird since yesterday." She peered at her friend worriedly. "Does it have to do with Sousuke?"

"What? That loser?" Unbidden the blue-haired girl recalled the image of Sousuke sitting on her balcony. "HA! Like I'd have anything to do with THAT maniac." Ironically, Kaname was almost maniacal as she laughed.

"Alright, I'll change the subject." Kyouko sighed in disappointment. She looked back up and clasped her hands together. "Will you switch seats with me, Kaname? Please!"

"Switch, why?" Kaname regarded her friend speculatively. "I thought you'd want to be close to the window. And besides I need to be here in case something comes up." She shrugged in apology.

"Come on Kaname!" Kyouko begged. "It's not that a big a deal. We can switch back before we land. Please?" She starred pleadingly at her friend.

"Okay." Kaname sighed and got up. "If it means that much to you."

"Yay! Thanks Kaname!" Kyouko beamed.

As the two girls switched seats. Kaname noticed Sousuke starring at her from his seat several rows back. She pointedly turned away from the black-haired boy and sat back down in a huff. "_He keeps me in the dark and follows me around like some kinda stalker!" _The blue-haired girl thought in anger, "_And__ it turns out he really is just a pervert! ARGH!"_

Kyouko looked at her friend in concern, but when Kaname said nothing she turned her attention to Crispin sitting up ahead. The stocky American appeared to be reading a book of some kind.

Crispin yawned as he turned the page on _The Illustrated Brief History of Time, _by Stephen Hawking. The AS mechanic had to admit he was impressed with the clarity of thought exhibited by the author. No pretentious posturing or high handedness was present in the work. Just the facts and hypothesis laid bare for the reader to pick up on their own. "_This is more like it." _Crispin thought with a sigh. "_Mithril could take a lesson from this guy." _

"Hey what'd ya do to Nokigawa in class four?" The boy to Crispin's right suddenly interrupted his reading.

"What are you talking about?" Crispin looked up in irritation. He had been enjoying himself for once.

"Oh come on." The boy explained. "He looked white as a sheet during lineup, and every time he saw you he'd flinch."

Crispin starred at the boy a long time. Finally he smiled dangerously and the boy gulped. "Do you really want to know?" Crispin asked. At the boy's hesitant nod he continued, "If you don't stop bothering me, you're going to find out." At the boy's wide-eyed look, he chuckled evilly and returned to his book.

The boy didn't speak to him the rest of the trip.

"Hey, Sousuke, check this out!" Shinji pointed at a drawing in one of his books. "It's an artist's rendering of the next-generation AS!"

Sousuke studied the picture. He was impressed to see a fairly accurate drawing of the M9. Details were wrong of course, mainly in the joint articulation, imbedded weapon's placements, and the optic's design, but it was close to the real thing. "That's very good. How were they able to come up with such a drawing?"

"This is an old issue of AS Fan. A couple of month back, when some of the specs were released on the prototype M9. They held an art contest to see what fans thought it'd look like. This is one of the winners. Isn't it cool?" Shinji proudly thrust the magazine into Sousuke's hands.

"I admit it is an excellent drawing." Sousuke said. "But do you really think that it will have that limited movement in the joints?" The arms of the 'M9' looked rather bulky with a cannon emplacement instead of an actually limb on the right side.

"You could be right." Shinji admitted. "This is just an artist's guess of what it'll look like when it's finally commissioned. I remember my dad telling me how everyone misjudged what the F-117 would look like when it was being developed." He shrugged. "We'll just have to wait and see."

"Yes, I suppose we will." Sousuke smiled and returned the magazine to Shinji. "I wish I had thought to bring some of my own collection. I'm sure you would find it fascinating." In truth, the bulk of Sousuke's collection was in his quarters on the Tuatha de Danaan, but Shinji did not need to know that.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you like my stuff. I'm sure your collection is ten times better!" Shinji enthused. "Besides, it's the least I can do after …you know." He shrugged sheepishly.

"_This isn't the first time they've tried this shit!"_ Crispin's words from last night echoed in the Mithril's sergeants mind.

Sousuke frowned and looked up. He could barely make out the back of Kaname's head as she chatted with her friend. For some reason he felt his jaw tighten in anger at the mechanic's words and that bothered him- a lot.

He was a professional. He was not supposed to get emotional. He had even lectured Kurz on that point just last night. Yet, here he was... angry at the thought of some high-school boys bothering Kaname.

"_They said she deserved it!" _

Sousuke's hands clenched and his knuckles turned white as the rest of Daniels's tirade reverberated in his mind. The Mithril sergeant was shocked at the anger he felt. Not even Daniels provoked this kind of reaction. At that moment, Sousuke wished he could put his hands around the photo club president's throat!

"Sousuke?" Shinji asked worriedly. "You alright?"

Sousuke blinked at the boy's question. With a start he looked at his fists balled on his knees and slowly willed himself to relax. After nearly a minute he turned to Shinji, "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern."

"You sure? Your look awfully red in the face." Shinji pointed out dubiously.

"I do?" Sousuke blinked in surprise. At Shinji's nod he frowned. "I… just need to use the latrine. Excuse me." He stood up and walked toward the rear bathroom of the plane.

"Latrine?" Shinji blinked as the sergeant walked away. "He's more of a military geek than I am." He chuckled and returned to his magazine.

* * *

Kaname groaned as she stepped out of the Naha airport terminal. The Okinawan sun beat down relentlessly and the humidity was awful. The air was thick and damp and hung over the blue-haired girl like a blanket. Of course, she and her class had been warned about the ever present humidity, but the warning did nothing to prepare one for the reality.

"Alright, Class two line up!" She called out. Kaname took a quick head count as her classmates stood in line with sweat pouring off them. The humidity was so thick, it was almost tangible. Kaname's classmates looked miserable and their clothes were already sticking to them.

Kaname frowned as she concluded her head count. They were short one student. "Sousuke," She groaned when she realized who was missing. "Does anybody know were Sousuke is?" She asked her class.

Her classmates muttered and looked around. Shinji Kazama piped up, "He was collecting the trash from the plane." The boy looked around in confusion, "But he should be here by now."

Kaname felt her face twitch as she growled in frustration. Suddenly the source of her ire came trotting up. "Where were you?" She rounded on the sergeant in anger.

"I was unsure if you wished to inspect the plane after I had cleaned it. I then had to find an acceptable receptacle for the trash." He stood stiffly, with his hands clasped at the small of his back as he spoke. "I apologize for the delay."

"I'm tired of your excuses! You are such an idiot!" Kaname poked Sousuke's chest with her banner. "Stop wasting time and get in line." As he moved to the line as instructed, Kaname noted with great irritation that Sousuke seemed unaffected by the humidity.

Once everyone was accounted for she reported to the teacher who then instructed her to move the class onto the second shuttle bus waiting to take them to the hotel. Kaname directed her class onto the bus in question. Everyone groaned happily as the shuttle's air-conditioned interior spared them from the oppressive humidity.

"Kaname," Kyouko asked as they settled into their seats. "Don't you think you're being a little mean to Sousuke?"

"Mean? To that pervert? HA!" Kaname snorted. "It's bad enough I have to look at his stupid face the whole trip. Now he's just trying to make me mad!" She crossed her arms in anger.

"Kaname." Kyouko said reproachfully. "Sousuke may be a little weird..." At her friend's incredulous look she amended, "Okay really weird, but he's not stupid. And he wasn't late just to make you mad. He just wanted to do the best job he could." She frowned when the blue-haired shrugged. "A job you forced him to take." She pointed out.

"W-what?" Kaname gave a start at her best friend's accusation. "What do you mean?" She turned away from Kyouko guiltily.

"You know what I mean?" Kyouko sighed and turned away as well.

Kaname glanced back to the object of their discussion. Sousuke was standing in the isle helping some students from another class put away their carry-on bags in the overhead compartment. She bit her lip and turned away before the boy could see her watching. She dropped her head with a petulant sigh. _That wasn't fair Kyouko!_

Crispin opened his laptop as the shuttle bus began to pull way from the airport. The Mithril corporal had seen Sagara, Kaname, and Kyouko board the second one. He booted up his computer and loaded up one his favorite games _Call of Duty_. He took great pleasure in blasting pixilated foes into tiny pieces. He took even greater pleasure as he imagined they all wore the faces of various Mithril personal.

He was interrupted detonating a CG Weber when several students started murmuring in excitement and pointing out the right window. With a sigh, he paused the game and sat up to see what the excitement was all about. Crispin snorted when he saw the silhouettes of six US Arm Slaves moving across a sparsely vegetated field that appeared to be about a half-mile away. They were clearly visible to the passengers of the shuttle. By the bulky outline and clumsy gait, the AS mechanic deduced they must be the so-called new and improved M6s. "_Piece of crap is more like it!"_ Crispin thought with distaste.

Obviously his fellow students were easily impressed.

He returned to his game and laughed softly as he immolated a virtual Sagara.

* * *

"That was so cool!" Tears of joy streamed Shinji Kazama's face as he stepped of the shuttle bus at the hotel where they would be staying. "A whole Platoon of M6s in formation. I wish I could've gotten a better shot than through the bus window." He looked to the heavens and declared. "This trip can't get any better!" He turned toward Sousuke who was at his side. "Hey, Camp Kinser's not too far from here. Do you think those M6s were from there?"

"Probably." Sousuke nodded. "I admit it was a very impressive sight." Observing those M6s made the AS pilot anxious to pilot one. While there was no doubt the M9 was a superior Arm Slave, no weapon system was perfect. And the Mithril Sergeant was curious to see how the two AS's compared. "Although I'm surprised they were so close to a civilian highway." He finally admitted to his friend.

"Who knows," Shinji shrugged. "There are so many US military bases on this island I'd be more surprised if we didn't see at least something." He added helpfully.

"You may have a point." Sousuke agreed with the boy's logic.

"Hey Kaname, look at that." Kyouko tugged on her friend's uniform sleeve. She had long since got over her earlier disappointment of the blue-haired girl. "I didn't know Sousuke and Kazama were friends? Did you?"

A look of disgust crossed Kaname's face as she observed the two military geeks conversing. "How should I know? And why are you asking me?" She turned toward Kyouko suspiciously.

"You and Sousuke seem to get along so well, I just thought you might know." Kyouko had a sly grin as she spoke.

"We do not get along!" Kaname seethed. She violently squashed the painful memory of the two boys sitting on her balcony pawing thru her underwear. "He can drop dead for all I care." She hissed and turned away. "And I refuse to talk about that pervert any longer."

"All right. I understand." Kyouko sighed. After a moment she asked. "Uh, Kaname shouldn't you be lining everyone up or something?"

"What? Oh right, yeah, I should get to work." She laughed nervously as she gathered her wits and proceeded to bring the class into line.

* * *

"Stupid waste of time." Crispin muttered as he entered the hotel's recreation room. It was late afternoon and they had finally been released and were free to do as they pleased. As long as they didn't leave the hotel grounds.

Crispin was dressed in a new black t-shirt and jean shorts plus his old running shoes. Since this was a school trip they were required to wear their uniforms until they had checked into the hotel. After that, the students had an early dinner and were instructed by their teachers about the upcoming itinerary for their stay in sunny Okinawa.

Most of the students had thrown on swim suits and rushed to the hotel's picturesque white beach just outside. While he had to admit the sparkling sand and clear crystal blue water looked impressive he had no desire to frolic like a two-year old with a bunch of whiny teenagers. So here he was in the hotel's recreation room.

Crispin was impressed as he looked around. There were nearly a dozen arcade games that actually looked interesting. The rec. room also had three pool tables and a large lounge with a wide-screen HD TV and huge couch. But the thing that caught the mechanic's eye was….

"Foosball!" Crispin exclaimed when he spotted the table with its plastic players mounted on eight rods run thru the sides. "I don't believe this!" Crispin was beside himself, the de Danaan had a Foosball table in one of its rec. rooms and the AS mechanic whiled away many a boring hour playing it. "I haven't played this game in at least six months!" He sobered as he recalled the significance of that date.

* * *

_"Can you come down to the station? It concern's your sister."_

"_I-I don't know." Crispin licked his suddenly dry lips. "When…did you have in mind?"_

"_I think the sooner the better, Mr. Daniels."_

_Twenty minutes later Crispin strode into the local sheriff's department. He was met in the lobby by a plain-clothes deputy. _

"_Mr. Daniels." The middle-aged man said solemnly. "I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances."_

"_Cut the bullshit!" Crispin snapped. "What's wrong with Allie?"_

_The man regarded him silently a moment and then nodded. "Yes, of course. Please follow me. I think we should discuss this in private." He gestured for the younger man to walk toward a staircase leading down. _

"_Alright." Crispin swallowed and pushed down the knot of dread he felt in his stomach. He followed the deputy as indicated. They walked down a flight of stairs and passed thru several hallways until they came to a set of double doors. The air was very cold and Crispin repressed a shudder as he read the sign above the doors. _

_County Morgue._

_Crispin eyes traced over the letters on the name plate. He stood rooted as the deputy held the door open for him. He opened his mouth but no sound came out. He shook his head in denial and stepped back. _

"_Mr. Daniels, we need you to identify a body." The deputy said not unkindly. "I know it's not easy, but I have to ask you to be strong for a few more minutes."_

* * *

"No!" Crispin gasped and leaned against the Foosball table heavily. He clenched his eyes shut as tears began to form. He was not the only person in the hotel recreation room and the AS mechanic refused to weep in front of them.

"That's right." He whispered. "I haven't played since I got that call." A painful lump formed in his throat and his hands gripped the edge of the Foosball table hard enough to turn his knuckles white. "Allie," he drew a ragged breath. "I should've been there." His head bowed and his shoulders shook. "I'm sorry." Tears began to drip onto the table he leaned on. He stood there for several minutes, quietly crying. After he began to recover a girl's voice interrupted his inner torment.

"Cris, are you okay?" Kyouko asked worriedly from behind. Kaname stood beside her, also looking concerned.

Crispin took a deep breath and slowly exhaled before answering. "Yeah, I'm doing great." When he was sure he had gained control of himself he turned toward the two girls with a strained smile. "I was just checking out the rec. room here. So what's up? I'd figured you would've hit the beach by now."

Kyouko was wearing a pair of khaki shorts over the school issued dark-blue one-piece swim suit and Kaname wore a nice two-piece. However, the blue-haired girl also wore a floral print wrap around skirt and a white blouse, which was unbuttoned. Both girls wore sandals.

Crispin frowned at the girls attire, especially Kaname's. What was the point of going out to buy a new swim suit if she was just going to cover it up like that? "_I'll never understand these girls," _he thought in irritation and turned back to the Foosball table.

"We figured you'd be sulking around here and thought you'd actually like to have some fun." Kaname explained. "But if you're going to be like that-" Kaname was cut off by her friend.

"Foosball!" Kyouko cried out happily and ran up to the table. "Hey, Kaname let's play a game! We can team up and play against Cris!" She beamed up at the two teens.

"Why are you teaming up against me?" Crispin sputtered in protest. "And who said I was going to play? And don't call me that!" He snapped at the nickname.

"Aw, come on Cris! You want to play, right? Just one game!" Kyouko pleaded with the stocky American. "Don't you like Foosball?" She almost whined.

"Yes, I like Foosball!" Crispin nearly shouted. He took a breath and continued in a more calm voice. "I played all the time back on the Dan-" Crispin caught himself and added lamely, "I mean back at my old school." He repressed a sigh when the girls said nothing about his slip.

"Great! Than let's play!" Kyouko chirped and looked for the game ball.

"I never said I-!" Crispin groaned in defeat. "Fine, we'll play. But just one game!" He proclaimed sternly.

"Okay!" Kyouko agreed with a giggle when she returned with the ball. "You ready Kaname?" She asked her best friend.

"Oh no," Kaname held up her hands in protest. "I'll sit this one out." She had no idea how to play the game.

"If you want." Kyouko pouted momentarily and then grabbed the bar handles with a grin. "Ready?" She asked the boy across the table.

"Yeah, I should warn you." Crispin said as he took the handles of the middle five-man bar and the goalie on his own side. "I was one of the best players at my old-school."

Thunk!

Crispin starred in shock as Kyouko scored a quick goal with a sharp flick of her wrist from her five-man bar. "Wha? No fair, I wasn't ready!" He protested as the girl laughed.

"But you said you were!" Kyouko pointed out and giggled again when he muttered under his breath.

"What's the matter Daniels?" Kaname asked. "Can't hang with the girls." She laughed at the dark look that crossed the AS engineer's face.

"Just you watch." Crispin promised flatly. He turned toward the laughing Kyouko. "You wanted a game? It's on now girl!" He had been careless before. He was not paying attention and Kyouko had taken advantage of his distraction. That would not happen again.

Over the next several minutes the two teens shifted their bars back and forth trying to score against their opponent. Crispin had to admit, when he had the time to spare for thought, that Kyouko was good, very good. She had excellent control of the ball and top-notch passing skills. Perfect for lining up a clean shot on the goal. Those skills combined with her mean wrist flick technique meant the bespectacled girl was powerful on the offense. And despite his earlier vow she scored several more times.

"YAY!" The girl clapped happily as she scored her fourth goal.

"Alright Kyouko!" Kaname high-fived her friend. "Take that jerk down a notch or two."

"Hey, I'm not a jerk!" Crispin protested. At the blue-haired girl's look he fidgeted. "All the time." He added lamely.

"I still like you Cris!" Kyouko enthused and then turned bright red when she realized what she said.

Crispin stared at the bright red Kyouko. She fidgeted and he burst out laughing "HA, now I know you're joking." Crispin ruffled her hair and retrieved the ball from his goal. "This game ain't over yet. You're going down camera girl!" He chortled and placed the ball back on the table. His words were not idle boasting either. Crispin had superior interception skills and was a master of pinning the ball. Those same skills made his defense nearly unbeatable. He was not considered one of the best Foosball players on the Tuatha de Danaan for nothing. In short, Crispin was confident of victory.

Kyouko narrowed her eyes in concentration and moved to gain control of the ball. She and Crispin passed the ball back and worth for over a minute, until Crispin intercepted one of her shots and returned it for a solid goal.

"HA!" Crispin taunted.

"You'll get the next one Kyouko." Kaname cheered the girl on.

"Yeah." Kyouko nodded as she placed the ball in the center.

For the next few minutes they played furiously. Shooting the ball back and forth, moving up and down the table to grasp different bars as the game progressed. Finally, the last point was scored and the game ended.

"YAY! I won!" Kyouko jumped about happily.

"Great work Kyouko!" Kaname congratulated her friend.

"I don't believe it!" Crispin starred at the table in shock, as if it had betrayed him. He looked up at the beaming girl and suddenly demanded. "One more game!" It had been a while since he played, but now he was warmed up it was time to show this girl how Foosball was really played.

"Okay." Kyouko said with out hesitation.

"Uh, Kyouko we're supposed to be going to the beach, remember." Kaname pointed out. As she spoke the blue-haired girl noticed the intense looks on both teens faces as they squared off for another round. She dropped her head with a sigh, "Never mind. I'll just go by myself."

"Bye Kaname." Kyouko said absently as the ball was served.

"Later Chidori." Crispin grunted as his serve was intercepted by Kyouko.

"Sure, see you guys later." Kaname massaged her forehead with her hand and walked outside. She refused to spend what little free time she had in Okinawa cooped up inside the hotel.

Kyouko and Crispin did not notice the departure of their blue-haired friend as they concentrated on beating the other. After nearly ten minutes the game was over with the same results as the first one.

"Yay! I win again!" Kyouko jumped in her excitement.

"Three out of five!" Crispin demanded. He would not lose this time. Kyouko agreed and they played another game. Crispin won that one and so they played again. They kept playing until the sun began to set and both teens were ready to fall over in exhaustion.

Crispin grinned at the panting Kyouko. "Not bad. Not bad at all." He had managed to win several games, but so had Kyouko. In the end he had no idea who was actually the victor. "Where'd you learn to play?" He finally thought to ask.

"Thanks." Kyouko blushed from the praise. "I used to play all the time with my brother before he left for college."

Crispin simply nodded in understanding. It did not really matter, but he had been curious. The extraordinary thing was not that Crispin had enjoyed himself, but for the first time in six months he was not plagued by thoughts of his sister.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N - Did some research on Okinawa. Tried to get it as right as I could. Anyway, enjoy! Lots of fluff here, and doom! lol  
**

**The Devil Inside**

Chapter 13

Okinawa has a reputation as a pleasant fun-filled place. The people of the subtropical island chain are friendly and very cordial to visitors. And nearly twenty percent of the island is occupied by United States Military Bases. What all this means is that Okinawa is surprisingly free of crime and theft of even the most petty nature. In Naha, the provincial capital, one could walk alone in the middle of the night in safety.

However, like all places, Naha has its dirty underside that the city does not like to acknowledge. The bar that Gwen, a dangerous looking man in sunglasses whose head was shaved on both sides, stepped into was one such place. Despite his obvious foreign appearance, Gwen was not concerned as he took a seat. He did however make sure the seat was in the corner so he could keep an eye on all the entrances and exits in the place. Caution kept even the most dangerous of men alive.

As Gwen sat down he ordered an Awamori from the bored-looking waitress. Awamori was an Okinawan specialty. It's a drink fermented from Thai rice and had almost twice the alcohol content of standard rice wine. Gwen didn't actually want the drink, he needed to keep his wits about him here, but it was important that appearances be kept up. And with the drink he ordered it would be clear to any who bothered to notice he was hoping to get smashed.

As he sipped the Awamori he discreetly scanned the few faces in the bar. During his time in the Marine Corps, Gwen had been to this particular drinking hole several times. Fortunately no one seemed to recognize the mercenary.

"Gwen! You old son of a bitch!" A large broad-shouldered Hispanic man with a military crew-cut interrupted his musing with a hearty laugh. "What are you doing back in this hell-hole?" Behind the man were two younger looking men, also sporting crew-cuts. They stared all around the place. Obviously they had never seen this side of Okinawa.

"O'Campo!" Gwen smiled at his old friend and indicated he should take a seat. "I hear they made you a gunny." He shook his head in mock sorrow as O'Campo and his two companions took a seat. "The Corps must be hard pressed these days."

"You know, I said the same thing when they promoted me." O'Campo smiled and laughed. He quickly ordered Awamori form himself. His companions had the same. "What's it been? Five years?" O'Campo asked as he took a deep drink with a satisfied sigh.

"Closer to six." Gwen answered seriously. He would have to conduct his business quickly before O'Campo got himself drunk. "So how have thing's been around here?"

"Same old shit." O'Campo said in a disgusted tone. "With the 'War on Terror' you'd think we'd actually get off our asses and do something besides train, but no we just sit around thumbs up our assholes." The two younger men silently nodded their consent.

"That's too bad." Gwen answered. He disliked what he was about to do, it was too risky, but like Gauron said they had to take some risks. "I'd like to be able to help you out, but…." The mercenary trailed off with a shrug.

"But what?" O'Campo picked up on his old friend's cue. Seeing Gwen's hard look directed at his two companions he made introductions. "This is Marlen." He indicated a powerful looking black man in his mid-twenties on his right. "And this is Fitz." He indicated to a young Caucasian man on his left. Both men nodded in greeting as O'Campo introduced them. "They're good guys. You can count on them just like you could count on me." He gave Gwen a pointed stare at this.

Gwen regarded the two younger men dubiously. Marlen looked competent enough, but Fitz kept craning his neck all around. The Caucasian looked to be barely out of high-school, no older than twenty. In short, a wet behind the ears punk. However, if O'Campo said he was dependable than that was good enough for the mercenary.

"I might be able to help alleviate your boredom, but the offer's only good for today." Gwen spoke softly, and the three men leaned in to catch every word. When Gwen was sure he had their attention he took another drink. He did not have much time. "I need some backup on a little assignment. It's local, so it won't take long. You'll be back at your favorite watering hole before the weekend's done." Gwen fell silent as the men contemplated the mercenary's words

"Hell, Gwen." O'Campo said. "You know I'm there. Whatever it is."

Gwen actually smiled at the large man's offer. "No deal. If it isn't all of you, then it's none of you." He shrugged at O'Campo's shocked look. "That's the way it goes. You should know that."

"What kinda assignment is this supposed to be?" Marlen asked. "How long are we expected to be out?" He leaned forward and whispered, "And how much are we talking?"

Gwen regarded the black man coolly and raised his assessment of the man's intelligence a notch. It was clear why O'Campo had thought to bring him along. "I'm offering you fifteen-hundred. Cash." Gwen answered the last of the man's questions.

"You're shitting me?" Fitz exclaimed. "Fifteen-hundred bucks!" He whistled and all but rubbed his hands in glee. "When do we start?"

"You won't if you don't shut your hole!" Gwen snapped at the younger man. His assessment of the Caucasian dropped considerably. At Fitz's stunned look he continued. "Like I said. This has to be quiet. If you can't do that much then forget it!" The mercenary finished his drink and stood up. He knew this was a bad idea.

"Gwen, sit down." O'Campo said affably. "Don't be like that. This is a big deal. We got it." He clapped Fritz on the shoulder. "Fitz's a good guy! He just a little excitable! You can count on him." He turned toward the young man and bared his teeth. "Right?" He asked menacingly. Fitz nodded his head in agreement.

Gwen regarded the three men skeptically, but O'Campo was an old friend who he trusted. They had a very narrow margin of opportunity right now, and they had to act before the Khanka government got cold feet and jumped ship. And of course there was _Mithril_ to worry about too.

"Alright." Gwen sighed. "But I'm serious about this. Keep your mouth shut." At the three men's nod he sat back down. "So are you in?" He asked without preamble.

"Hell yeah." Fitz enthused. O'Campo nodded as well. Marlen however disagreed.

"You never answered my question." The black man pointed out "What is it you want us to do?"

Gwen actually smiled at the man. "I'm afraid I can't say right now." He kept the smile in place as Marlen stared at him.

"Marlen, come on!" Fitz urged his companion. He looked around and leaned in. "It's fifteen-hundred bucks!" He hissed.

"I'm not jumping into something I know jack about." Marlen glared at the mercenary. "It's that or I walk."

Gwen laughed at the threat. He and Gauron could accomplish their mission no problem. These three would just be back-up. However, he admired Marlen's way of thinking. "Fair enough." At their curious looks he explained. "We'll meet at the Dragonfly off International Street in three days time at 16:30. It shouldn't take more than twenty-four hours, thirty-six tops. Then your fifteen hundred dollars richer." He leaned back and asked, "So you interested?"

"Um, are you wanting us to… kill someone?" Fitz asked hesitantly.

"I'm not saying." Gwen answered darkly, "But what if I am?" He was curious to see what the twenty-year old's response would be.

"That's cool." Fitz said with a grin. O'Campo clapped him on the shoulder and nodded at Gwen as if to say: _I told you so_.

"So are we?" Marlen asked. "Going to kill someone."

"No, nothing like that." Gwen answered. "Just a little snatch and grab. Think you can handle it?" He taunted the black man a little.

"Oh yeah, I can handle it." Marlen said with a fierce smile. "Alright, I'm in."

"Good." Gwen studied the three faces around him. "I'll meet you at the Dragonfly in three days time. You know where that is?" O'Campo nodded. "Good, at 16:30 I'll be leaving, with or without you."

"No worries Gwen." O'Campo laughed. "We'll be here."

"I'll be expecting you." Gwen stood and O'Campo followed. "It'll be nice working with you again." He stuck his hand out.

"Right back at ya." O'Campo grinned and shook Gwen's hand. "Why don't you stay a bit? Catch up on old times."

"Can't. I am a busy man these days." Gwen explained. "You understand, right?"

O'Campo laughed. "I hear ya." He waved as Gwen walked out the bar.

As soon as he was outside and down the block the mercenary pulled out his cell-phone and hit the speed dial.

_"It's me." _Gauron answered briskly.

"I've made some friends." Gwen said. "Looks like we've got enough guests for the party."

_"Excellent!" _Gauron laughed. "_I'm sure it'll be a hit."_

* * *

"That looks like a F-16! I think." Shinji Kazama lowered his binoculars with a frown. He and Sousuke were on their hotel roof trying to spot any military aircraft on approach to or from Kadena Air Base. Unfortunately, they were a little far away from the Air Base to see anything of substance.

"What do you think?" Shinji passed the binoculars to Sousuke. Who took them and began to scan the horizon.

"It's difficult to be certain with the distance, but I think your assessment is correct." Sousuke panned the binoculars across the horizon to see what else there might be. He stopped and trained the binoculars on a pier down the beach a ways from the hotel. He noticed a few men casting fishing lines into the ocean. "I didn't know there would be any of that around here." He lowered the binoculars with a thoughtful look.

"What was that?" Shinji asked. Sousuke pointed out the pier and the men fishing thru the binoculars. "Oh, yeah, people like to fish off the piers like that all the time. At least I've always seen them fishing." He confessed the last sheepishly. He perked up as he recalled something from Sousuke's introduction. "Hey, you like to fish right?"

"Yes, but I lack equipment to do so." Sousuke frowned. "And this place does not seem to be ideal for fishing."

"Well, I bet you can rent some equipment around here." Shinji said. "I really can't say if this is a good spot to fish." He shrugged and added, "But it can't be all that bad or there wouldn't be anybody doing it."

"You may be right." Sousuke agreed and returned to scanning the horizon

"Um," Shinji finally asked. "Are you going to see if you can do some fishing?" After all, Sousuke was the one who brought it up in the first place.

"I didn't come here to fish." Sousuke said still looking thru the binoculars. "This is supposed to be an educational trip."

"Ah, Sousuke this may be a school trip but there's nothing wrong with having some fun." Shinji pointed out.

"I am having fun." Sousuke looked at the boy with confusion. "What makes you think I wouldn't be."

"I don't know." Shinji confessed. "I was just saying since you like fishing, now might be a good chance to do it. You certainly can't back in Tokyo." He laughed at the last.

"No, you can not." Sousuke smiled at the boy's laugh. He suddenly asked, "Would you like to go fishing?"

"Me? Naw, it's not really my thing." Shinji shrugged. "But don't let me stop you if that's what you want to do." He assured the Mithril sergeant.

After several long moments, Sousuke nodded. "Very well, I'll take your advice to heart." He handed Shinji his binoculars. "Thank you for the suggestion."

"Hey, no problem. If you need me I'll just be up here, or back in the room." Shinji said cheerfully as Sousuke exited the roof. After Sousuke had left Shinji shook his head, "Man, he needs to loosen up."

* * *

Kaname strolled along the beach admiring the crystal blue waters as it rolled up against the pure white sand. The oppressive humidity was gone thanks to the ocean breeze. She paused and watched her fellow classmates frolic in the water and play volleyball. Her friends, Maya and Mayuko, had asked if she wanted to play, but both teams were already full of players and Kaname would have to wait until the next game. So she simply declined politely and decided to stroll along the beach.

"Chidori!" A voice called out to Kaname. She turned and saw a tall handsome looking boy from Class two come trotting up to her. "Hey, you out here by yourself?" He asked with a smile.

"Yes," Kaname said slowly as if it should be obvious. She regarded the boy a moment, he looked familiar but she couldn't place him. "Who are you?" She finally asked.

"Urk, I'm Satoru Shirai!" He said with a hurt expression. "How could you forget?" He flashed a dazzling smile at Kaname. "And I have to compliment you on that swimsuit. It looks very nice on you." His eyes traveled over her appreciatively.

"Riiight." Kaname rolled her eyes. "How could I forget?" She remembered him now. Shirai Satoru must have tried to pick up half the girls in her class already. She smiled indulgently at his compliment and roving eyes. "That's very considerate of you." She could not stand people who were so full of themselves. "Now if you'll excuse me." Kaname turned to walk away.

"Hey now Chidori don't be like that." Shirai said affably and slid up to her side. "How about I join you on your walk?" He asked smoothly and subtly brushed his hand against her side.

Kaname whirled away from the touch and her eyes flashed. "How about you-!"

"Shirai!" A female voice cut off Kaname's tirade.

"Mizuki!" Shirai exclaimed startled. A red-headed girl come running up.

Kaname looked back and worth between the two and saw her chance. She used the distraction to get way and walked down the beach before she could be stopped. "Bye Shirai!" Kaname called mockingly over her shoulder. "It was nice talking to you!" She repressed a laugh at the irritated look the other girl shot her. Like she wanted anything to do with the likes of Shirai Satoru!

Kaname rapidly walked down the beach and soon came to a more rocky area. She looked back and could see the hotel looked considerably smaller. It was at least a half a mile away. Up ahead she could see a large wooden pier jutting out over the water for about a hundred feet or so. There looked to be several people walking along it taking pictures, admiring the view, and fishing.

At the base of the pier, Kaname could see a few shops and arcades. It looked like a more sedate viewing spot for those who wished to avoid the more touristy spots. Kaname was surprised something like this was so close to the big hotel they were staying at.

Curious, Kaname picked her away along some of the bigger rocks and made her way to the top of the pier. She smiled and exchanged a few greetings with a few passersby as she walked down the pier. It was amazing how much more of the ocean you could see by being only a few hundred feet out from the shore. She looked over the edge and was even more impressed as she observed the churning ocean a dozen feet below. The wind was incredible and she had to hold her hair out of her face as she gazed around.

"Ms. Chidori what are you doing here?" A voice from behind brought Kaname out of her wonderment.

"Sousuke?" Kaname turned and was startled to see Sousuke Sagara staring at her questioningly. The boy was holding a fishing rod in one hand and a small tackle box in the other. She frowned at the boy and stepped past him with a sniff. "That's none your concern!" The military freak was the last person she wanted to talk to.

"Wait!" Sousuke called out desperately. When the girl paused and regarded him coldly he sat his fishing gear down and bowed deeply. "I would like to apologize."

"What?" Kaname stared wide-eyed at the boy. "What are you talking about." She looked around nervously. There were not a lot of people on the pier, but the few who were present stared curiously at the two teens. It was very embarrassing.

"Last night was inexcusable. I'm very sorry." Sousuke explained still bowed. While he did not understand everything that happened last night, or why it was such a huge problem for the blue-haired girl, he was confident this was the right course of action. It was something he had pondered all night and during the entire trip.

For reasons he did not fully understand, when Sousuke recalled Daniels' furious words from Kazama's aborted underwear theft, he felt a great tide of anger rise in him. And when Kaname yelled at him and brushed him off, he felt an uncomfortable hollow pit in his stomach. His actions, however good intentioned, had contributed to this difficult circumstance. Therefore, Sousuke had resolved to apologize to her at the first available opportunity.

Kaname narrowed her eyes when Sousuke mentioned last night. "You think some lame apology is enough to forgive what you did?" She asked. Kaname crossed her arms and glared at the boy. "Well do you?" She snapped when he made no move to rise.

"No, but it seemed the appropriate course of action." Sousuke said as he slowly rose back up. He stared the girl in the eyes and added, "I did not consider what your feelings on the matter might be. I was wrong." He shifted his eyes straight ahead and brought his hands to the small of his back, as if awaiting sentence.

"Oh." Kaname looked away. She was still mad, but she did not know how to react to this. Sousuke was being thoughtful and willing to accept her judgment. This was not really different from the way the boy normally acted and yet at the same time it was. It was not something she could explain.

And there was the fact Sousuke's consideration made her feel warm all over, despite the Okinawan sun. "Then I guess…" She struggled for words and turned back to the boy. "I guess." She took a deep breath, "that it's okay." She let out the breath, "I forgive you."

"You do?" Sousuke blinked. When Kaname did not bash his head in he blinked again. He had not actually expected forgiveness. He was only determined to apologize for his actions, no matter how well intentioned they may have been.

"Yes! I do!" Kaname huffed at his thick-headedness. "Is that so hard to understand?"

"No, just unexpected." Sousuke answered simply. He stared Kaname in the eyes. "As I said before, you re a very kind person Kaname Chidori."

"Oh, um thank you." Kaname blushed and looked away. "You don't have to say that. It's embarrassing." She brushed her wind-swept hair out of her face. "Thank you." She recalled how she had yelled at him at the airport and bit her lip. "And I'm sorry I was so horrible to you."

Sousuke starred at her with a furrowed brow and finally nodded. "Very well. I accept your apology."

"Oh… that's good." Kaname flushed at his words. She cast about for something to talk about and spotted the fishing rod at lying by his feet. "What are you doing?" She felt stupid as soon as the words came out. It was obvious what he was here for.

"Fishing." He said and picked up the rod and tackle box. He regarded the blue-hair girl a moment. "What brings you out here Ms. Chidori?"

"Oh, just wandering around." Kaname said airily. She noticed Sousuke's face scrunch up in confusion and laughed. "Oh come on! It's not that hard to believe? Is it?" She growled the last.

"No, I just don't see the purpose. Were you hoping to find a particular shop or eating establishment by chance?"

"What?" Kaname starred at the boy. She resisted the urge to yell and pull her hair in frustration. Talking to Sousuke could be so aggravating! "No, I just felt like wandering around. There was no purpose behind it. Do you get it now?" She yelled out the last part. If he said no she was going to smack him.

"I understand." Sousuke nodded his head. When Kaname said nothing else he turned away, but was stopped by the girl's hand on his elbow. "What is it?" He asked confused.

"Um," Kaname stammered and stared at her feet. "How's your arm?"

"It's healing nicely." He raised the arm in question. Sousuke was wearing a white button up short-sleeve shirt and the angry scar formed on his arm was plainly visible. "The pain has passed, and it has already scabbed over. I estimate it should be fully healed within a week." He lowered the arm.

"Eww, that's really gross." Kaname glanced up at his arm and made a face. "Shouldn't you cover it up or something."

"No, it should be exposed to the air. It aids in the healing process." Sousuke explained.

"Right, why didn't I think of that?" Kaname muttered.

Sousuke was about to point out that if she had thought of that there was no need to ask. Kaname snapped her gaze back up to his own. He stepped away from the intensity in it as Kaname tightened her grip on his arm, as if to prevent him from fleeing.

"Sousuke, I know I forgave you, but there's something I have to know." Kaname said earnestly. She tightened her grip on his arm even more and lowered her voice. "Why were you on my balcony?" She blushed but didn't look away. "And don't feed me any line about that coincidence crap either!" She added hotly.

"Um, I can't …." Sousuke trailed off and resisted the urge to fidget. He did not know what to do. His training had never covered anything like this. He swallowed nervously and looked away. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you."

Kaname's eyes widened in shock. Then her lips pressed together in a thin line and she leaned forward. "Sousuke." She growled dangerously. "You better tell me or you won't live to regret it." She poked him hard in the chest with her free hand. "Understand?"

"I'm sorry." Sousuke stumbled back, but was unable to go far because of the iron grip she had on his arm. They were dangerously close to the pier's edge, but the Mithril sergeant thought pointing that fact out to Kaname would only aggravate the situation. Her eyes already blazed in anger as she poked him.

"Sorry?" Kaname laughed dangerously. "I don't think so. If you were really sorry then you could at least have the decency to tell me what you were DOING!" She nearly screamed the last part, unconcerned about bystanders.

Sousuke actually flinched. He remembered Daniels' words last night and swallowed. "You might not like what I have to say." He finally admitted.

"If you don't tell me. You're NOT going to like what I do! To YOU!" Kaname released him and crossed her arms. "Start talking!" She tapped her foot impatiently when he hesitated. "Well, I'm waiting." Her voice held the promise of violence.

"Yes, I see that." Sousuke sighed. He would have to tread carefully. The mission was top secret, but then he realized the mission was over. Of course, Mithril's activities were still a closely guarded secret, but it might be alright to reveal a few details.

"At 20:21 hours I observed a masked figure scaling the side of your apartment building." Sousuke decided the truth, minus a few details, would be the best course. Besides she deserved to know that much at least. "Concerned for your safety, I intercepted him as he gained access to your balcony." Sousuke starred at Kaname. "Shortly after you came out and saw us."

"Not only do you stalk me at school, you follow me to my home too!" Kaname fumed. She repressed the warm feeling she felt when he said _Concerned for your safety._ "I can't believe this! Why won't you just leave me alone?" She was nearly on the verge of tears from the roller coaster ride her emotions were taking in this conversation.

"No, that's not true!" Sousuke demanded with surprising desperation. Both teens were wide-eyed at his outburst. "I was in the area and noticed the intruder. I wasn't following you Chidori." That much was true. He had not been following her, that day.

"You like to stalk around my neighborhood at night instead?" Kaname asked incredulous. "You're not helping your case you know." She glared at him. "Well, what do you have to say?"

"Case? What case?" Sousuke asked.

"Never mind!" Kaname snapped. "What were you doing skulking about my apartment building?" Kaname eyed the distance between themselves and pier's edge. If she hit the boy hard enough he might fall over. It was a tempting thought.

"Right. I wasn't skulking around your apartment." Sousuke hesitated. He did not want to revel the location of the safe house. And then he sadly recalled that he would no longer be staying at the safe house once they returned. The mission was over after all. "Actually," Sousuke coughed and explained. "I noticed the intruder when I glanced outside my apartment window."

"You're apartment?" Kaname gaped at the boy. At his nod she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "We live in the same neighborhood and you never told me? Why?" She shook the boy as she questioned him.

"You. Never. Asked." Sousuke barely got the words out.

"Argh!" Kaname released the boy. "I don't believe this!" She felt a headache coming on and rubbed her temples. "Why me?" She moaned. She glared at the puzzled Sousuke and asked. "You're not related to Kyouko by some chance?"

"Tokiwa?" Sousuke asked startled. He could not imagine what prompted that question. "No, I'm quite certain we are not related."

"Sousuke you weren't supposed to answer! It was just a rhetorical-." She glanced at the confused sergeant. "Never mind." She should have know it would have been like this. "So were do you live, exactly?" She finally asked.

"In the apartment building across from yours." Sousuke saw no reason to hide that fact any longer.

"What?" Kaname nearly fell over in surprise. "I guess that explains how you could see some guy climbing onto my balcony." At Sousuke's nod the blue-haired girl grinned wickedly and turned away. "Gee, you follow me around everywhere and live across the street from me." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and teased. "I guess you really like me, huh?"

"Yes. I do."

"Huh?" Kaname turned back to the boy in surprise. She blushed bright red and felt her heart hammering in her chest. "Wha-what do you mean?" She finally squeaked out. She turned away unable to look at his face.

"You are a very nice person." Sousuke calmly explained. He did not understand her reaction at all. "And show great concern for your fellow students. Those are admirable qualities." Sousuke nodded his head as if coming to a decision. "And someone I would be proud to call a friend."

"Just a friend?" Kaname stammered and then cursed the disappointment in her voice.

"What else is there?" Sousuke asked in genuine confusion. He then noticed her red face. "And are you feeling alright? Have you been drinking enough liquids? It's easy to suffer from heat exhaustion in this environment if you're not careful."

"I'm fine!" Kaname snapped. "It's not the heat!" She turned away in a huff. "And I'm well aware I should keep hydrated. So just drop it!" She glared at the boy daring him to contradict her. Sousuke looked dubious, but said nothing. Finally, Kaname sighed and smiled. "Me too."

"You too what?" Sousuke asked. It was difficult keeping up with Kaname in a conversation.

"Proud to call you a friend, silly!" Kaname laughed at the face Sousuke made. It was actually rather cute. She patted him on the shoulder and asked. "Now that that's cleared up, shouldn't you get started? We have to be back in the hotel in a few hours." At Sousuke's curious look she pointed at the pole and tackle at his feet. "Fishing!"

"Right." Sousuke picked the pole and tackle box. "You have a good point. This may be my only chance for a while."

"Yeah, fishing's one of your big hobbies right?" Kaname asked. She remembered him mentioning it when he was introduced to the class. "After rescuing helpless girls that is!" She laughed at his pole-axed look.

"Rescuing girls is not a hobby." Sousuke blandly explained.

"What, you're saying it's your job?" Kaname only laughed harder and Sousuke remained silent. "It's okay Sousuke. It was only a joke." She shock her head. The military geek could be awfully sensitive at times.

"I understand." Sousuke said, but actually did not. "Would you like to join me?' He asked Kaname suddenly.

"Join you?" Kaname repeated intelligently. At the boy's nod she suddenly felt shy. "Are you sure? I don't actually know how." She whispered the last.

"I can teach you. It's not a problem." Sousuke assured her. Actually teaching the blue-haired girl would probably be more interesting. He could not imagine the fishing being that great off this pier, all the conditions seemed wrong. But it was a nice spot to teach a novice.

"Okay! Sounds like fun." Kaname smiled brightly and Sousuke felt more at ease than he had in years.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N - Sorry! No excuse really, but thanks for waiting patiently. I'll just say Graduate School has been kicking my butt! **

**Anyway, Enjoy!  
**

Chapter 14

"Wow! So cool!" Kyouko Tokiwa was thrilled as she craned her neck to gaze upon Shurijo Castle, ancient home of the Ryukyu Kings. The castle was as huge as it was beautiful. The great multi-roofed building towered over the students of Jindai High as they stared in wonderment. The castle sat atop Shuri hill and overlooked the Philippine Sea. The location of the castle was the origin of the island's dialect and culture's name.

Bright red lacquered tiles were perfectly lined upon the multiple roofs. The central door and entryway of the main building was constructed of great timbers coated with red lacquer. They were as wide as a man is tall and stood over a story in height. Painted in brilliant white and gold was twin lions curling resplendently above the doorway. On top of the peaked eave sat a Shiwa statue, to chase away the evil that haunt men's spirit.

"Kaname! Isn't it amazing?" The flash of Kyouko's camera pulsed as she took photo after photo.

"It sure is." Kaname whispered. All the students around the blue-haired girl nodded in agreement. Every student was silent as they felt a great sense of awe. The castle was a breath taking site.

Except two.

"What a waste of time!" Crispin groused at the back of large cluster of students. One of their tour guides was droning on and on about the wonders of Okinawa's ancient kingdom: the Ryukyu. And how they had been crossroads of cultures and ideas across all of Asia. From as far south as Vietnam to Japan.

"The original Shurijo Castle was destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa." Crispin mouthed the words of the tour guide. "But through studies of written documentation and photographs, the castle was completely restored and opened into the public in the mid 1990's." Crispin rolled his eyes as all the students bobbed their heads in amazement.

The thing that annoyed the mechanic, was not his classmates meek acceptance of the tour guides words, it was that what they learned was printed in the castle's brochure. "At least tell us something interesting." Crispin muttered as they were lead thru the castle grounds.

Sousuke also was unimpressed by the castle. While he did listen attentively, and even found the history of the castle of some interest. The Mithril sergeant could not understand their fascination for such a poorly made fortification.

Yes, it was built on good defensible terrain that had command of the land and sea around the capital. But it was ridiculously ornamental and entirely too open in its construction. No, the sergeant concluded sadly. Shurijo Castle was better suited as a entertainment facility for royalty than as a military compound.

As they walked around people would approach dressed in binagata, the Okinawan kimono, and other Ryukyu noble finery. The costumed folk would perform roles and even enact the Classical Dances of Okinawa for the amazed students. Kyouko, and several others, took many photographs. All together the students spent over half the day at Shurijo Castle. As they finished the tour guide asked for questions.

"I have one." Crispin's hand shot up from the back. At the tout guides nod he smirked. "Those timbers for the main entryway. What kind of wood is it?"

"They are seasoned oak, good sir."

"That makes sense." Crispin nodded. "Those posts have to carry a lot of weight." He smirked again. "So how many chains did they go thru?"

"I'm sorry. Chains?" The tour-guide and all the students looked confused.

"You know chains. Like the chain on the chain-saws used to cut these stupid trees down with." He made a cutting motion with his hand and looked around. "You did use chain-saws right." Crispin peered up at the huge timbers in the entryway. "Or did you go the traditional route and use hand saws and axes?"

"No, I believe modern equipment was used to cut all the lumber for the castle's reconstruction. Why?" The tour-guide looked suspicious.

"Well, you've been going on about how important tradition is and how you love the environment." Crispin sneered at the tour guide. "Since you value your traditions and environment SO much, I was curious what makes you hack down perfectly good two-hundred year old oak trees for this stupid castle built by a dynasty that didn't have the brains to protect themselves from-!"

"Mr. Daniels!" Nakumura-Sensei hollered. "I told you to behave!" She marched over to Crispin and hissed. "What did I say before we departed?"

"Who cares?" Crispin snapped at the blond teacher. "Get off my back you stupid bitch!"

All around students starred wide-eyed and the tour-guide was totally flustered by the American's questions.

"I'm terribly sorry!" Nakumura-Sensei turned toward the tour-guide. "He's been a trouble maker since the start." She whirled on Crispin angrily. "You come with me!" And dragged the smirking Crispin away before he could embarrass his classmates and humiliate Jindai High anymore.

"It's was nice talking to ya!" Crispin called to the flustered tour-guide as he was dragged away.

"Ugh! He is such a Jerk!" Kaname scowled in disgust at the older boy's behavior. Kyouko reluctantly nodded in agreement.

Sousuke frowned.

Several hours later, Crispin was laying on the bed in his hotel room when there was a quiet knock at the door. Frowning the AS engineer got up to answer. He had been banished to his room by Nakumura-Sensei and told he would have to sit on the bus tomorrow while the rest of the students enjoyed the Okinawa Commemorative National Government Park. It was hardly a loss, he had no desire to spend the day staring at fish in an aquarium or gawking at flowers.

"What?" He asked irritably as he flung the door open. He stared at a startled Kyouko.

"I didn't mean to bother you." Kyouko blushed and turned away.

"Hey, wait!" Crispin grabbed the girl by the elbow. "I thought you were someone else." When the girl turned back around he asked, "What are you doing here? Nakumura-Sensei said I wasn't supposed to have visitors." He said the last mockingly.

"You shouldn't disrespect your teacher like that." Kyouko chided.

"Please, I'll respect that woman when she has something to teach." Crispin snorted. He paused as he caught a whiff of something delicious. As part of his punishment, he had not eaten tonight.

"Is that food?" He asked excitedly and pointed at the white paper bag Kyouko carried. The smell emanated from it. "Wow, thanks!" He reached for it, but Kyouko backed away. "Hey, what gives?" He demanded.

"I thought you'd be hungry, but if you're going to be like this." Kyouko stared at Crispin sadly and turned away. "Goodnight." She called over her shoulder.

"Come on!" Crispin followed the girl into the hallway. "It was a joke. It doesn't mean anything."

"Yes it does." Kyouko rounded on the boy. "Kaname's right. You are a Jerk!" She spat the last angrily and gasped in surprise. Kyouko covered her mouth with her free hand. "I-I'm sorry. I don't usually get mad like that." What was wrong with her?

Crispin winced at the girl's angry words. He sighed at her stammered apology. "These little field trips are boring. It's nothing you couldn't learn by going to the library or even online. It's a waste of time and I snapped." He fidgeted and rubbed his suddenly sweaty palms on his shorts. "I was tired of the stupidity I guess." He finished lamely.

"Cris," Kyouko sighed in disappointment. "It's not the same. Yes, you could learn the same information from a lot of places, but it's not the same as actually going there and seeing the real thing." Crispin shrugged and Kyouko frowned. "You say you were bored, but what about everybody else?"

"What about everyone else?"

"You ruined the trip for everybody else because you got bored!" Kyouko nearly yelled. She took a breath and asked. "What are you afraid of?"

"Afraid? I'm not afraid of anything!"

"Now I know your lying." Kyouko exhaled and held out the bag she carried. "Here even you shouldn't go hungry." When Crispin slowly took the bag from her she turned and walked away. "You should consider how other people feel when you act like that. Then you might actually have some friends."

Crispin watched the girl walk away in silence.

"Friends?" He snorted. "Whatever. Like I give a shit!" He spun on his heel and marched back to his room. He seethed in anger and tried to ignore the pain he felt at Kyouko's dismissal.

* * *

That night a dark figure crept thru the hotel. The figure slipped past the attendants at the front desk and the bellhop sitting sleepily by the elevators. The intruder eventually snuck to the sixth floor and passed row after row of identical doors leading into Hotel suites. Finally, the intruder slid up to the door numbered 692: Kaname Chidori and Kyouko Tokiwa's room.

The figure picked the lock slipped inside, and shut the door with a soft click. The intruder heard the rhythmic breathing of the room's occupants. Satisfied the girls were sound asleep. The figure bent down and slowly searched thru the many pairs of shoes and sandals lined up neatly in the entryway.

The intruder found a pink tennis shoe, one of Kaname's favorite. Slowly, the figure drew a knife from a concealed sheath. The blade was four and half inches long and both sides came to razor-sharp point.

The blade gleamed wickedly in the darkness as the intruder cut a half inch incision into the back of the pink shoe's sole. The figure then plunged the dagger into the incision almost two inches deep. Once done, the figure sheathed the knife and drew a flat narrow metal rod that was six inches long and removed a thin disk from its pocket. The disk was a shiny silver and slightly smaller than a dime.

The figure inserted the disk carefully into the incision made in Kaname's shoe. When the disk had disappeared into the rubber, the rod was applied to push it in deeper. Soon the disk was deeply imbedded into the sole of Kaname's shoe.

The intruder inspected the back of the shoe for any sign of tampering. Satisfied the work would go unnoticed the figure gently replaced the shoe with a wicked smile. The figure slipped out of the room and exited the hotel completely unobserved.

* * *

_"Why-" Crispin's lips trembled and he took a shaky breath. "W-why is her face cut like that?" He pointed weakly at the dark-haired sixteen year old girl laying stiffly upon the cold metal slab in the County Morgue. The world was spinning rapidly out of control and Crispin clung tightly to a tenuous line of sanity as he stared at the sister._

_The coroner looked at the deputy who nodded. "We believe the assailants were trying to perform a harvest." He grimaced. "However, they messed up." _

_ "Harvest?" Crispin asked hollowly. He could not take his eyes of Allie's face. He refused to think of her as…. _

_ "Organ harvesting." The coroner explained with distaste. "There's money to be made if you know the right people." When the young man said nothing he continued. "Like I said, they didn't do a good job of it."_

_ Crispin shuddered and closed his eyes. He tried to speak but nothing came out. His throat was swollen shut. So he shook his head instead._

_ "That's enough Mr. Daniels." The Deputy said. "You told us everything we needed. Let's get you some air." He tried to guide the young man away, but Crispin shook him off._

_ "How did this happen?" He demanded. His eyes shone feverishly. "Tell me!"_

_ The coroner and deputy exchanged a long look. Finally the deputy sighed and gestured to a seat by the wall. "You may want to be seated for this."_

_ "No." The one word was whispered, but both men heard the unwavering conviction behind it. _

_ "Very well." The deputy said and launched into his report. "Allison Daniels went to a party at a local night club last Friday with some friends from school. There she and her friends meet two men. After several hours they left the club with these men. According to her friends they club hopped and eventually the men dropped them off at their homes. Your sister was to be the last one dropped off." The deputy paused. "Sunday morning, a motorist spotted her body of off state highway 55. And we called you when we were reasonably certain of the identity." _

_ "Allie."_

_ "Pardon me?" The Deputy looked at Crispin confused._

_ "Her name's Allie." Crispin croaked. "She doesn't like to be called Allison." _

_ The Deputy nodded, but said nothing. _

_ "How-" Crispin licked his lips. They felt like sand paper against his tongue. Or maybe it was his tongue that felt like sandpaper. He wasn't sure. "How did…?" His breathing grew shallow and the deputy took a concerned step towards him. _

_ "Maybe you should sit-."_

"_I'm fine!" _

_The Deputy nodded._

"_How did …IT happen?" He couldn't bring him self to ask 'How did she die'._

"_Well, the way these people usually operate. Once they have a healthy donor." The Coroner was quiet clinical in his description. "They put the victim under anesthesia and remove the organs. Of course, they usually use local anesthetic. More cost effective."_

_Crispin said nothing. _

"_Like I said." The Coroner explained. "They messed up. I'd say from the various slashes and bruises it appears your sister tried to fight back." He nodded at the many discolored blotches on Allie's too pale flesh. _

_The Coroner reached over and plucked a clipboard off the metal table his sister laid upon. "We know she was dumped in an abandoned field a mile off State Highway 55." He consulted the clip board. "She dragged herself to the road side. And our autopsy shows that she died of Hypovolemic Shock on Sunday 3:45 a.m." _

"_So-." Crispin's breath became ragged. For the longest time only the sound of his wheezing breath and pit-pat of tears striking the concrete floor was heard. At that moment Crispin felt a cold deluge pass thru his body. It swept away everything. All emotion, all hopes, fears, and dreams were washed out of him and spilled onto the floor of the County Morgue. _

_At that moment everything just… stopped. _

"_So, she bled to death." Crispin spoke in a cold voice. He stared the Coroner squarely in the eye. _

"_Y-yes," the Coroner was a bit unnerved by the sudden chill in the young man's voice. It was if he was talking about the weather. _

"_How long?" At the Coroner's confused look her repeated his question. "How long did it take?"_

"_Oh, um, about two hours."_

* * *

"AH!" Crispin jolted awake and stared around wildly. Light and sound swirled all around him. He had no idea where he was. His breathing was shallow and erratic and sweat poured off him as he flailed for balance. Yet, something was restricting him, keeping him from moving.

"Hey, snap out it!" A gravelly voice yelled.

"What?" Crispin's senses snapped into focus. He was seated in the empty shuttle bus and the driver was shaking him by the shoulders. "I'm awake!" He yelled at the driver and batted the hands away.

"What's the matter?" The driver straightened up. "You need a doctor?" The teen was pasty-white and his eyes were bloodshot.

"No, I don't need a doctor." Crispin rested his head in his hands. At the driver's non-committal grunt. He glared up at the man. "I said I'm fine!"

"You don't look fine!" The driver pointed out. "You need help."

Crispin would have laughed if he wasn't so exhausted. "It's too late for that." He croaked instead. He looked back up at the driver. "Look, I'm okay. Just a bad dream is all. No need to get bent out of shape. I just… I need some air." He stood shakily and moved outside.

"A dream that bad, anyone would need help. It's important to look after yourself." The driver helped Crispin outside and clapped him on the shoulder once they were out in the fresh air. "You have to take care of yourself. No one else can do it for you." Certain Crispin was no longer in danger of collapse the Driver returned to his seat on the bus.

"Look after myself?" Crispin sighed wearily. "Who gives a shit! Like it fucking matters." He stared at the ground blankly and remembered his sister. "Nothing matters anymore."

* * *

"Hey, what's up?" Kaname plopped on the bench next to Kyouko. They were on an hour long lunch break at the Okinawa Commemorative National Government Park. They had already gone thru the aquarium, which the blue-haired girl thought was amazing, and were touring the many flower displays and gardens the park was famous for.

"Nothing, I guess." Kyouko said wearily. She stared at the sandwich she was supposed to be eating, but the bespectacled girl wasn't hungry.

"Okay, what is it?" Kaname finally asked. "You've been down since last night." When Kyouko did not look up Kaname leaned forward and peered up at her best friend. "And you've only take a dozen photos. Something MUST be wrong." She smiled at the last.

"If you say so." Kyouko nibbled on her sandwich.

Kaname leaned back and stared at her friend. It was clear something was really bothering Kyouko, and given the timing she had a fairly good guess what, or who, it might be.

"Sousuke declared his undying love last night."

Kyouko looked at her friend and turned her gaze to the military obsessed boy seated a hundred feet away. "No, he didn't." Kyouko sighed and returned to staring at her lap.

"Now I know something's wrong!" Kaname put her arm around the girl's petite shoulders. "Come on Kyouko, talk to me! I hate seeing you like this." She gave the bespectacled girl a gentle squeeze.

Kyouko stared at her lap and bit her lip. After almost a minute of silence she spoke. "Why is he always like that?"

"You mean Crispin right?" Kaname asked. It was always best to be certain about these things.

Kyouko nodded.

"I don't know." Kaname confessed. "I mean he's a nice guy, but he just." She trailed off. It was true. He was nice. He indulged Kyouko's, and to a lesser extent her own, whims and requests often enough. "It's like there's a devil inside him. And it just… reaches out and smashes everything around." Kaname concluded. "I don't get it. He just does."

"He shouldn't do that." Kyouko whispered.

"Yeah, I know." Kaname looked at Kyouko. "Unfortunately, you can't make him stop if he doesn't want to."

"You're right." She gazed at the ground.

Kaname regarded her miserable friend and gave the girl another squeeze. "But you wish you could, right?"

Kyouko hesitated and nodded.

Kaname smiled. "You're too nice. You know that." She hugged the twin-braided girl to her. "It'll be okay." She rubbed her hand on the small of Kyouko's back.

"I don't know what to do." Kyouko leaned her head on Kaname's shoulder. "I just wish he wasn't…."

"An asshole?"

"Kaname!" Kyouko sat up and stared at her friend in shock.

"It's true!" Kaname pointed out.

Kyouko deflated. "You're right."

"Don't tell me that."

"What?" Kyouko looked at her friend in confusion.

"Telling me won't change anything." Kaname explained. "You have to tell him AND you have to tell him how it bothers you." The blue-haired girl pointed her finger in Kyouko's face.

"I can't." Kyouko stammered and looked away. The idea clearly embarrassed her.

"What did you tell him last night?" Kaname demanded.

"I-I didn't tell him anything last night." Kyouko's face turned bright red.

"Don't pull that innocent act. I know you snuck him some food." Kaname said not unkindly. "You must have said something." At Kyouko's reluctant nod she pressed. "So what did you say?"

"Um, I said he should respect his teacher more." Kyouko stared at her lap and shuffled her feet.

"Let me guess he laughed right." Kaname rolled her eyes. At Kyouko's nod she asked, "So what else did you say?"

"I called him a jerk." Kyouko almost seemed ashamed. "And I said he ruined everybody's fun yesterday." She looked up at her friend. "Was that too forward of me?" It was not polite to talk to someone she had known for so little time like that.

"No, I don't think so. Typical manners and understanding aren't going to work on him anyway." Kaname assured here friend. After her mother's death, one aspect of Japanese social etiquette that aggravated the blue-haired girl was the refusal to acknowledge or point out someone's faults.

Kyouko remained silent.

"Look, Kyouko you have to decide what you want to do." Kaname sighed at her friend's reluctance to confront the problem. "You've already called him a jerk, but you have to go all the way."

"What do you mean?" Kyouko was very confused now.

"All that stuff about respecting his teacher and ruining everybody's fun may be right and something he should know. But it doesn't actually deal with the problem."

"But." Kyouko protested.

"What I mean!" Kaname continued over her friends protests. "Is the problem isn't that he did these things. The problem is YOU don't like them." Kaname crossed her arms in triumph.

"I guess so." Kyouko slowly agreed. "But I don't understand. He should-"

"Do nothing!" Kaname interrupted. At Kyouko's puzzled look she elaborated. "Kyouko, you didn't tell him anything about how YOU feel. You told him what he did was bad and he should stop." Kaname smirked. "And you should know better than anyone Crispin Daniels won't do anything he's told to do."

"Yeah, you're right." Kyouko frowned. "But that's no excuse for him to behave that way."

"Kyouko," Kaname said with complete earnestness. "People don't change just because we want them to. The only thing we can do is change how we deal with them."

Kyouko was thoroughly confused now.

"The only thing you can do is tell him YOU don't like how he behaves. Tell him how it makes YOU feel, and then tell him YOU don't want anything to do with someone who acts like that." Kaname advised.

Kyouko was silent a long time before she asked, "What do I do next?"

"Nothing." Kaname relaxed and smiled. "What happens after that is up to him. If he apologizes, and means it, fair enough. But you need to make it clear you won't tolerate the kind of behavior. And if he does it again. Cut him out of your life." She put her hand on Kyouko's shoulder. "I know it's not easy, but do you see what I mean?"

Kyouko hesitated and finally nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." She looked at her friend in awe. "You're so smart Kaname." She threw her arms around the blue-haired girl. "Thank you so much!"

"Yeah I know," Kaname joked and returned the embrace. "That's what I'm here for!"

End Chapter 14.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Sorry, I wanted to get this out sooner. Now we get to see some of Crispin's interest. The drama's hot & heavy now! Enjoy!  
**

**The Devil Inside**

Chapter 15

Kyouko raised her hand and hesitated. She stood in front of Crispin's hotel room. They had returned almost two hours ago and had some free time until curfew, although they had to stay in the hotel. Kyouko bit her lip and fidgeted. Finally, she lowered her hand and turned away with a sigh.

After two steps she stopped. Taking a fortifying breath she turned back around and knocked on the door before she lost her nerve again. She was surprised when a tall-lanky boy answered the door instead of Crispin.

"Uh, is Daniels-san here?" Kyouko asked quietly. She could see a couple of other boys inside the room. It looked like they were playing a card game.

At Crispin's name the boy grimaced. "No, he left over an hour ago." He shrugged apologetically.

"Oh, thank you. I'm very sorry to have disturbed you." Kyouko bowed to the boy. The boy stared at her as she turned and walked away.

"So much for my big moment." Kyouko sighed and shuffled toward the elevators. Kaname was probably in the rec. room. Kyouko glanced down a side hall that dead-ended and stopped in surprise. At the end of the hall slumped beneath a large window overlooking the beach was Crispin Daniels. He sat limp like a string less puppet. The boy's head was lowered to his chest and he seemed unaware of her presence. Kyouko hesitated, but screwed up her courage and walked down the hall.

"Crispin?" Kyouko decided to use his full name. She stood before the boy, yet he made no move to acknowledge her. The polite thing would be to respect his privacy, but per Kaname's advice Kyouko was determined to tell him what she had to say.

"Crispin." She crouched in front of the boy and prodded his foot. "Crispin!"

"What? Oh, hey." Crispin finally looked up and stared at Kyouko. "Don't worry about me." He waved his hand languidly. "I've been sprung. You don't have to sneak me food or anything." His hand flopped back to his side, but he continued to stare at Kyouko.

"You have?" Kyouko was surprised. "I didn't see you at dinner."

"Wasn't hungry." Crispin shrugged. "No big deal really." He shifted his stare to the ceiling. "So you here to lecture me again?" His tone was bored and Kyouko suppressed a surge of irritation.

"No, I wanted to tell you something." Kyouko stared at the floor and clasped her hands together nervously.

"Really?" Crispin looked at her in surprise. He sat up and spoke without preamble. "Well, I think you're very pretty."

"What?" Kyouko gasped and felt her entire face turn bright red. "W-why do you say that?" She could not bring herself to look up.

"Well, isn't that what a girl always asks when she's alone with a boy?' Crispin smirked.

"W-That's, I d-didn't meant to." Kyouko stuttered in embarrassment. Her whole body was bright red now. "I wasn't-" She suddenly scowled and smacked the smirking boy. "Stop that! You're always doing that, and I hate it!" She smacked him again.

"Hey! What are you talking about?" Crispin demanded and tried to back away from the girl. Unfortunately the wall was in his way. "Ow! Quit it!"

"Stop trying to change the subject!" Kyouko snapped back. At Crispin's wide-eyed look she spoke hurriedly. "I don't like it when you do that. And I don't like when you're mean or rude." She took a calming breath and pinned Crispin with her gaze. "I don't like how you always insult the teachers or the school." Her courage gone Kyouko looked away.

"Why?" Crispin licked his lips. "Why are you telling me this?"

Kyouko resisted the urge to sigh. "Crispin, I don't want to be friends with someone who acts like that." She faced him again as she spoke. "It's hurts to see you act like that." She looked away. "Because... you can be better than that."

The hallway was silent for over a minute before Crispin finally asked. "W-what do you want me to do?"

"Nothing." Kyouko sighed and stood up. "I don't want you to do anything." She turned to go and stopped. "You decide what to do. But I don't want to be friends with someone who's such a jerk."

Crispin starred at Kyouko but said nothing as she walked off. When she turned the corner and passed from sight Crispin slumped back against the wall. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. In three days they would return to Tokyo and Crispin would be dragged to the Tuatha de Danaan in chains. Probably at the hands of Sousuke Sagara.

Crispin sat and thought of nothing.

* * *

"Ohh," Kaname moaned as she plopped on one of the big sofas next to Maya and Mayuko in the hotel's rec. room. "My feet are still sore." She curled her toes in complaint.

"Mine feel like they're gonna fall off." Maya agreed.

"Wimps." Mayuko snorted. The other two girls glared at her. "What?" She asked innocently.

"What are we watching anyway?" Kaname leaned over and asked. Several students were sprawled around the rec. rooms wide-screen TV. It looked like a prime-time drama.

"Don't know." Maya confessed. "Some local show" She shrugged at Kaname's irritated growl. "Hey, you asked us to save a seat. Not what was on TV."

"I know." Kaname exhaled and laid her head back on the couch. The blue-haired girl stayed that way for most of the show. Eventually, the show ended and several students started shuffling away only to be replaced by new ones.

As they did Kaname noticed a curious sight. Her head was leaning back over the headrest and behind the couch she could see Sousuke Sagara staring intently at the some of the hotel's arcade games. Surprisingly he was the only one around the games at the moment and from the lines on his forehead it was clear he was confused.

"What is that idiot up to?" Kaname groaned to herself and sat up. After a moment of indecision she stood up.

"Hey, you going to bed already?" Maya asked in some surprise.

"No, but I'm done here." Kaname smiled at her friends. "You don't have to worry about saving me a seat." At her friend's nod she walked around the couches and sprawled bodies of her schoolmates.

"It's a video game." Kaname explained as she walked up behind Sousuke.

"I'm aware of what it is." Sousuke turned toward the blue-haired girl. He was unsurprised by her sudden appearance. "But is does not seem to be working."

"Really?" Kaname turned toward the game. It looked like some kind of 2-D side scrolling shooter from the eighties. "Did it eat your money?"

"Eat my money?" Sousuke's brows drew together.

"When you put your money in," Kaname explained. "Nothing happened and you couldn't get it back. You know? It ate your money." What was with this boy?

"Ah, now I understand." Sousuke turned to regard the machine. "Can I ask you a question Ms. Chidori?"

"Sure."

"How much money does this machine require to operate?"

"What?" Kaname nearly fell over in surprise. "You don't know how much money it takes? What planet did you come from anyway?" She resisted the urge to smack him.

"Actually, I didn't realize it required money to operate at all until you said so." Sousuke explained matter of factly.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Kaname moaned and rubbed her temples. She felt a headache coming on. "There, you see?" She pointed at the coin slots beneath the control console. "You put your coins in there. And you play there! Do you get it now?" Kaname snapped in exasperation.

"Yes, I understand. Thank you." Sousuke crouched down and poked the coin slot on the machine. "According to this it requires a 100 Yen." He starred at the video game.

"Are you going to play?" Kaname finally asked. "Isn't that what you came her for?" Kaname looked around. "By the way, where's your friend?"

"Kazama?" At Kaname's nod Sousuke answered. "he went to bed a little earlier. We were up quite late last night trying to watch night landings at Kadena Air base. I'm afraid we had minimal success." Sousuke frowned at the last. "We didn't turn in until at least 0230."

Kaname just stared. "What are you talking about? Never mind I don't want to know." Kaname cut off the sergeant's explanation with a raised hand. "So why aren't you in bed then. You must be tired too." Kaname was curious. Sousuke didn't look tired.

"Not really." Sousuke answered. "I can maintain operational readiness with only four hours rest." He seemed almost proud of the fact.

"Right." Kaname drawled. "That's really great." She patted him on the shoulder. In truth, she had no idea what he was talking about.

Sousuke apparently satisfied the conversation was over, drew a few coins from his pocket and inserted them into the machine. After a few moments studying the control he began to play.

Curious Kaname watched him. "Hey you're not bad." To her surprise, Sousuke managed to clear the first level. However, he quickly perished on the second level. "So is this you're first time playing a video game?" Kaname asked as he deposited another coin and continued play.

"No, I've played a few in the past. Not often." Sousuke explained as he played. He did somewhat better but died fighting the boss.

"What a minute?" Kaname asked. "You didn't even know how the thing worked a few minutes ago. How could you have played one before?" Only after her question did she remember he had already known what a video game actually was.

"Back at …my old school." Sousuke feed a third coin into the machine. "A friend owned a video console. In between miss… er, I mean study sessions we would play some of his games." He grunted when he died again.

"Video console?" Kaname frowned. "You mean like a PlayStation?"

"Yes." Sousuke frowned when he ran out of change. He looked around and realized it was close to lights out anyway. "We should go to bed now."

"What?" Kaname shrieked. "How can you suggest such a thing? You pervert!" She bashed Sousuke in the head with her fist.

"Ms. Chidori." Eri Kagurazaka, Kaname's homeroom teacher, stood behind the blue-haired girl hands on her hip. "Please stop yelling. You'll disturb the other guests."

Sousuke stood back up and dusted himself off. "That hurt."

"Oh, hehhehe." Kaname laughed embarrassed. "Sorry about that."

"It's alright." Kagurazaka-Sensei said. "You should be heading toward your room now. It's curfew."

"Yes ma'am." Kaname said and quickly walked away in embarrassment. She did not know who to be mad at more. Herself for getting chewed out or Sousuke for talking like that in the first place. "He didn't have to say it like THAT!" She fumed as she went upstairs to her room.

* * *

The next day, the students of Jindai High visited some caves along the island's south east coast where people hid during the Battle for Okinawa at the end of World War II. Everyone walked in silence as they were lead into a cave where about 100 people sought refuge from the fighting. While in the cave the students listened to the stories of the tour guide, a gray-haired old man who was in the cave during the war.

The man talked for a long time about what it was like in the cave. He explained how soldiers of the Imperial Army controlled the caves and forbade anyone to leave. When U.S. soldiers found the caves and ordered everyone out (in Japanese) no one could surrender. When no one emerged, the Americans would usually throw in hand grenades, use flame throwers, or pump in fuel and ignite it.

Afterwards all the lights were turned off to give the students a sense of what those terror filled days might have been like. Everyone was silent as they filed out of the cave, even Crispin Daniels. As he'd explained to Kyouko last night, Nakumura-Sensei had 'graciously' allowed him to accompany the group today.

Ironically he actually had some questions, but knew Nakumura-Sensei would never allow it so he waited until they were shuffling out of the cave and approached the tour guide.

"Excuse me, can I ask you something?" He asked the tour guide politely.

The old man turned to him and stared at the American boy. "You're Japanese is very good." He complimented.

"Thanks." Crispin resisted the urge to tell the man his Shuri-accent was very thick. "Now about that question?" He could feel Nakumura's eyes boring into him.

"Yes, ask away young man."

"Didn't the Imperial Forces build an entire complex of interconnected caves like this one?"

"Yes, they did. The caves stretched under most of the main island." The guide nodded. "Very large. The Imperial Army used it to move back and forth from one part of the island to another."

"But not all of them are connected?"

"No, like this one here." The old man gestured to where they had toured. "Many were self-contained, but still quite vast."

"Yeah, that makes sense." Crispin scratched his chin. "So do people actually run around in these caves, besides these tours I mean?"

"Oh, no!" The tour guide insisted. "Many were destroyed and filled in during the fighting. Not all, but many. Also many more have collapsed over the years. Very dangerous for people to wander, and no need for exploring anyway."

"Why's that?"

"They were mapped by an American survey team shortly after the war. That's one reason why most American bases are to the north. The majority of the caves were in the south." The tour guide smiled as he finished his explanation. "You like history?"

"Not really." Crispin confessed. "I'm more curious about the excavation of these caves." The AS engineer looked behind in wonder. "An impressive accomplishment."

"Yes, at the hands of slave labor." There was a hint of reproach in the old man's tone.

"True." Crispin ignored the old man's tone. "So they were surveyed? All of them?" The old man nodded. "Is their a way to get a hold of the maps?" He asked eagerly.

"Of all them? No." At Crispin's disappointed look the tour guide hastily added. "But you can get maps of the caves and shore around here. We sell them at the gift shop."

"Really? That's great!" Crispin and the old man were walking side by side as they made their way back to the shop in question. The rest of the students trailed behind. "Thanks old man!" Crispin gave the guide a hearty slap on the back, which nearly knocked the old man over, and rejoined his class.

He paused as he locked eyes with Kyouko Tokiwa, but both quickly looked away. They had not spoken since their little 'talk' last night. Crispin experienced an eerie sense of deja-vu as he moved down the line of students to rejoin his class. Everywhere he looked, every eye he met was one of mistrust and hostility. "Fuck you!" The mechanic screamed in his mind. He was tempted to yell in their faces that he would be in a military prison for the next fifteen years. They'd probably throw a party!

"That was weird." Kaname whispered to Kyouko as Crispin turned away from their tour guide and rejoined his class. "He was almost polite. What's up with that." She grinned and elbowed Kyouko. "Maybe that talk of yours made an impression, eh?"

"I guess." Kyouko looked away when her eyes met Crispin's.

"Come on!" Kaname insisted. "It didn't sound all that bad." Kaname's grin widened. "Or is there something your not telling me?"

"No, it's not that." Kyouko hesitated. "When I did what you said…he just looked at me." She sighed. "He stared at me, like I was a bug or a freak." She bit her lip. "He hasn't even tried to talk to me or anything today."

Kaname patted her friend on the shoulder. There was nothing she could say that would make her friend feel better. And at that moment, the blue-haired girl never despised Crispin Daniels more than she did right then.

* * *

"Hey, Nakumura-Sensei." Crispin called to his homeroom teacher as they stepped off the buses back at the hotel.

"Yes, what is it Mr. Daniels." The blonde teacher regarded him coolly.

"I was going to see if I could dig up some old maps on those cave complexes that tour guide was talking about."

"That's fine Mr. Daniels." She raised an eyebrow. "Though you hardly need my permission to do such a thing."

"Yeah, you see I was wondering…." He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I was thinking about writing a paper on them." He fidgeted, "And I was kinda hoping you would accept it. As extra credit I mean."

Nakumura-Sensei was silent a long time. "You surprise me Mr. Daniels." She finally said.

"Something I live for." Crispin drawled.

"Yes, you do." Teacher frowned at the stocky boy. "Very well." She nodded. "I'll expect it first thing next Monday when we've returned to School."

"Great! Thanks Sensei." Crispin smiled and walked into the hotel. The ridiculously short deadline did not bother him. Next Monday he would be back in the stockade. So he needed to finish quick either way.

As he crossed the lobby, Crispin spotted Sagara and Kazama chatting. "Hey Sagara." He called out.

"Daniels." Sousuke regarded the AS engineer darkly. "What do you want?"

"Oh, just wondering if you were enjoying yourself?" Crispin bared his teeth in a feral grin.

"Yes," Sousuke said slowly. "This trip has been surprisingly enjoyable."

"Good, we wouldn't want the great Sousuke Sagara to waste his time or anything!" Crispin slapped Sousuke on the back and barked in laughter. He stepped past the sergeant and headed up to his room.

"Man, what a jerk!" Shinji frowned at the departing American's back.

Sousuke agreed.

End Chapter 15


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. New job and laziness contributed to the long update. Anyway, Sousuke and Crispin have enjoyed themselves long enough I think, heh.  
**

**The Devil Inside**

Chapter 16

"I fail to see the point of this activity." Sousuke frowned. He was standing amongst the crowded International Street of downtown Naha. Bright neon signs proclaiming shops, bars and clubs lined the street on both sides. Currently a festival-parade was taking place. Brightly clothed figures danced thru the street trailing streamers. Others carried banners and played drums and flutes. The Mithril sergeant found it very disconcerting.

"Oh come on Sousuke." Kyouko laughed at his side. "It's a festival. It's supposed to be fun!" It was the last night of their trip. Tomorrow they would fly back to Tokyo and the teachers thought the Flower Festival would be a good learning experience for the students. This particular festival was different in that it started at dusk and went on well into the night. Kyouko did not mind as she took photo after photo. The costumes and dancers were amazing.

"Yeah, Sousuke. You do know what fun is right?" Kaname teased from beside Kyouko.

"I know what fun is." Sousuke protested.

A dozen feet away Crispin shook his head. "If your definition of fun is marking time? Then sure Sagara's the king of fun!" He thought nastily. He glowered at the sights all around him. He did not like this festival. He did not like it at all.

"This is so stupid!" Crispin cursed after nearly tripping over a couple of toddlers. He had his book bag slung over his shoulder as he moved thru the crowds. He had wanted to stay at the hotel and work on his laptop, but Nakumura-Sensei insisted he come along. So here he was, lugging around his bag while everyone else was unimpeded. He paused as he saw Kaname talking to one of her friends.

"Isn't this great?" Maya asked from beside Kaname.

"It sure is!" Kaname agreed. "Nothing like the festivals back home. They sure know how to throw a party around here." She laughed.

"That's for sure." Maya laughed in agreement. "Listen Kaname don't you want to do something fun before we have to leave?"

"What are you talking about?" Kaname eyed the long-haired girl.

"See that club over there." Maya pointed to a building down the block whose neon sign identified it as 'The Dragonfly'. "Some of us were thinking of going there. What do you say?" Maya asked almost desperately.

"I don't know." Kaname was taken aback. "Why are you asking me?"

"Come on Kaname." Maya pleaded. "Kawakawa-Sensei said we could have half-an hour. But only if you agreed."

"Me?" Kaname squeaked in surprise. She turned to look at her home-room teacher who was watching the festival about six people down. "Are you sure about this?" Kaname asked suspicious.

"Yes!" Maya exclaimed. "Ask her yourself if you don't believe me!" She glared at the blue-haired girl hurt by the mistrust.

"Okay, I'm sorry!" Kaname held her hands up in surrender. "I was just surprised that's all." It was actually touching the teacher had that much confidence and trust in her.

"No problem." Maya smiled. "We need a group of at least six, and Mayuko is chickening out."

"Oh, so that's why you wanted me to agree!" Kaname joked in mock outrage.

"Yup, my secret's out!"

"Hey, Kyouko." Kaname turned to her best friend who was enraptured by the festival performers. The blue-haired girl smiled when she noticed Kyouko was still using the camera Crispin had built.

"What is it?" Kyouko asked her eyes still on the festival.

"Come with us. Maya and I are going to check out that club over there." Kaname explained as she grabbed the braided-haired girl's arm.

"Is that a good idea?" Kyouko asked dubiously. "Won't we get in trouble?"

"No, we won't." Kaname tugged on the girl's arm. "Have I ever steered you wrong?" At the girl's head shake she continued, "We have to go in a group though. So get moving."

"Okay!" Kyouko had never been to a club before. It would be fun.

"Alright." Kaname turned toward Maya who had a reluctant looking Mayuko in tow. "Everything set?"

"Yeah, but we need at least two more." Maya pointed out.

Kaname scanned the area until her gaze fell Sousuke and Shinji Kazama applauding some particularly graceful acrobats. Setting her lips in a determined line she marched over to the two military freaks. "You two!" She barked in command.

"Ah!" Shinji nearly jumped out of his skin. "Don't do that!"

"Is there a problem Ms. Chidori?" Sousuke calmly asked. He was unfazed by the blue-haired girl's sudden appearance.

"You're coming with us." Kaname told the two boys. She gestured to the three girls beside her. "Got a problem with that."

"No, it's not a problem." Sousuke said.

"Ah, where are we going?" Shinji stared at the taller boy and Kaname. When the girls pointed toward 'The Dragonfly' he backed away. "Oh no! No way! I don't want to get in trouble."

"You're one to talk." Kaname said frostily. She may have forgiven Sousuke for the little stunt on her balcony, but she had not done the same for Kazama.

"Yes ma'am." Shinji squeaked. He was deathly afraid of what Kaname might do.

"Good. Let's go." Kaname turned on her heel and moved toward 'The Dragonfly'.

"There, there." Kyouko patted Shinji consolingly. "Don't let her get to you."

"Easy for you to say." Shinji muttered with hunched shoulders.

The group suddenly came to a halt when Crispin Daniels materialized in front of them.

"Where are you going?" Crispin hissed and grabbed Kaname by the arm.

"Let go of me you jerk!" Kaname pulled herself free. "That's none of your business!" She spat at the taller boy.

"It is too!" Crispin's eyes darkened in anger and he took a step toward Kaname.

Suddenly Sousuke was in front of the AS mechanic. "Daniels." He warned. The Mithril sergeant shifted his weight to the balls of his feet. If it was a fight Daniels wanted a fight he would get.

"Sousuke." Kaname put a hand on his shoulder and spoke gently. "Don't. He's not worth it." She glared at Crispin. "Out of the way!"

Crispin and Sousuke were trying to stare each other down. At Kaname's words Sousuke blinked and Crispin snorted.

"Fine!" Crispin said. "Like I give a shit!" He stepped aside to let the group pass. His glare never leaving Sousuke until Kyouko passed in front of him. At the twin-braided girl's reproachful stare he turned away.

"No!" Crispin clutched his head. He felt light headed and couldn't breathe. "I'll tell your teacher!" He threatened the departing teens.

"Go right ahead." Kaname turned and balled her fist. "She wouldn't believe you anyway!" She glared and spat angrily at the American.

"Kaname." Kyouko said with pleading eyes. "Don't." The blue-haired girl huffed and turned away leading the group toward 'The Dragonfly.'

Crispin watched them go and cursed. "Shit!"

* * *

"Wow. This is so cool!" Kyouko starred around in awe at the interior of 'The Dragonfly'. Bright colored neon signs lit the walls and a live band played in front of a dance floor complete with multi-colored lights. There was even a bar with a bartender. Of course the place was lightly populated because of the festival, and the band playing was not very good. It was still impressive to the bespectacled girl.

"It's fantastic!" Maya gushed. The long-haired girl would never be able to get into such a place back home. "Maybe we'll meet some cute guys!"

"Not in twenty minutes you won't." Kaname pointed out.

Shinji winced at Maya's implied insult, but thought it best to keep his mouth shut. At least he could say he had been to a club with four pretty girls.

"That won't be a problem." Sousuke declared. "There are three young looking gentlemen right over there." He pointed to some foreign looking young men with military crew-cuts. He started walking towards them.

"What are you doing?" Maya grabbed Sousuke by the arm horrified.

"What're you thinking?" Kaname asked as she latched onto his other one. There was no telling what the boy might do.

"Didn't you say you hoped to meet some guys." Sousuke asked with a wrinkled brow. "I'm not sure if they meet your specifications for cute, but those gentleman meet the rest of the criteria provided." He nodded toward the young men in question. "I thought it would be best to secure an introduction."

"No! You can't!" Maya was mortified.

"You idiot!" Kaname shook Sousuke. "You don't just pick some random guy and decide he's right for a girl!" She was ready to throttle him. "Argh!"

Shinji shook his head and chuckled while Kyouko and Mayuko giggled.

"You don't?" Sousuke was clearly confused now. "But Mukai said she wanted to meet-"

"Forget it!" Maya interrupted. "Let's just find a seat." She was embarrassed enough. The long-haired girl now understood a little of Kaname's frustration with Sousuke.

"Let's sit at the bar!" Kyouko said and dashed forward.

"No, Kyouko!" Kaname tried to stop her friend. "Never mind." She followed in her best friend's wake with the others in tow. Actually it wasn't a bad spot. There was room enough for all of them and they had a good view of the entire club. And while the club was hardly crowded all the seats that could seat all of them were taken.

"I'd like a drink please!" Kyouko told the bartender happily.

"You're a little young, don't ya think?" The bartender asked dubiously. He stared at all of the teens suspicious.

"Please, we're not asking for alcohol." Kaname rolled her eyes.

"You never asked what I wanted." Kyouko giggled in agreement.

"Fine, what'll it be." The bartender asked. Everyone ordered a soda.

Except Sousuke. "Water please."

The bartender sat the requested drinks before the teens.

"Hey! Can I get some service over here?" An irritated voice asked a few people down from the gathered teens.

Kaname and the others' looked at each other in surprise. The voice sounded familiar. As one the six classmates peered around a small knot of people and saw Crispin Daniels handing the bartender his ID. After examining it the bartender nodded and returned it to the American.

"Hey! What is that?" Kaname demanded and walked over to the seat Crispin lounged on. She loomed over the mechanic and pointed at the drink he held in his hand. "You can't have that!"

Crispin starred at the blue-haired girl and took a big swig of the beer he had ordered. "What was that?" He asked with a smile. He noticed Sousuke standing just behind Kaname and smirked. "Still the playing the lap-dog eh, Sagara?"

"Don't ignore me!" Kaname hissed and slapped the smirking corporal. Hard. "And I told you not to talk to him like that!"

Crispin turned back to Kaname his smirk still in place. "So you did." He took another deep drink and turned away. "Stop bothering me."

"You piece of-" Kaname shook with anger and saw red. Her fist balled up and she raised it to strike. She was stopped by a warm hand wrapped around her fist. She turned furiously and was shocked to see Sousuke restraining her fist.

"Chidori." Sousuke said calmly. "He's not worth it." He smiled slightly at her own words.

"Yeah." Kaname blushed from the contact and sighed. Her fist relaxed and Sousuke let go. Kaname felt a twinge of regret at the separation but ignored it. She glared at Crispin's back instead and said loudly. "You're right Sousuke. Forget this jerk!" She sniffed and walked back to her classmates.

"Kaname." Kyouko looked apologetic as the blue-haired girl sat back down. "I'm sorry-"

"It's alright Kyouko." Kaname cut her friend off. "You didn't do anything wrong." She glared back down the bar where Crispin sat.

Kyouko sighed.

"Hey!" Mayuko said to break up the tension. "What're you guys so down about anyway? We're supposed to have fun!"

"Let's hit the dance floor!" Maya downed her drink and jumped up.

"Yay! Let's do it." Kyouko clapped in agreement.

"If you're looking for a suitable partner." Sousuke said. "Those young men over there have been watching you since we entered the establishment."

"Really!" Maya's eyes lit up.

"No!" Kaname stomped on Sousuke's foot and shook her finger at Maya. "We don't have time for that!"

"Aww!" The red-head pouted. "No fair just because you have a guy."

"I do not have a GUY!" Kaname seethed.

"There, there." Kyouko patted the blue-haired girl on the shoulder.

Maya and Mayuko exchanged skeptical looks. "Right." They drawled as Kaname spluttered in denial.

Sousuke looked back and forth between the girls. "I don't understand." He looked at Shinji for an explanation. The bespectacled boy shrugged.

"Fine." Kaname huffed. "It still doesn't change anything."

"Yeah, we're wasting time." Mayuko pointed out. The rest of the girls nodded.

Sousuke felt a stab of fear when the four girls turned as one to him and Kazama. "Is there a problem?" He backed away uncertain.

"Sousuke." Kaname purred. "You'll help us right."

Sousuke swallowed. His soldier's instincts screamed to run. Instead he nodded. "Of course." It was difficult to tell Kaname Chidori no.

"Great! Let's go!" Kaname grabbed his arm and dragged the sergeant onto the dance floor.

"I don't dance." Sousuke pointed out desperately.

"You do now!"

"You too Kazama." Kyouko hopped up and grabbed the bespectacled boy's wrist. Maya and Mayuko nodded in agreement.

"What? Me?" Shinji squeaked in terror. His legs felt like jelly and he could not run if he tried. He shook his head vigorously. "I don't want to dance."

"Stop complaining." Maya cooed from his other side. "You just might like it." She winked and laughed as they dragged the poor boy onto the dance floor.

"Help." Shinji muttered weakly. Somehow the long-haired girl's words frightened him more.

Crispin nearly blew his drink out of his nose when he saw Kaname drag Sagara onto the dance floor. "HA!" He choked and sputtered when he saw the younger sergeant actually attempt to dance. "He looks like a headless chicken!"

His mirth vanished when he saw Kyouko laughing and leading Kazama by the wrist. "That son of a-!" He stopped and blinked when he realized he was out of his seat.

He made an irritated sound in the back of his throat. "Bah, like I give a shit!" Crispin threw himself back into his seat. He turned back to his beer and blanched at the taste.

It was bitter.

On the dance floor the six teens twisted and writhed to the rhythmic beat and lyrics of the band. The lights flashed and danced over the moving bodies to create an atmosphere of mystique. After a few minutes they were all flushed and sweat poured down their faces. After two songs the band had finished their set and announced a break.

"Hey guys." Mayuko pointed at her watch. "We need to get going." Everyone nodded.

"I have to go to the bathroom." Kyouko panted.

"Me too." Kaname wiped her damp locks off her forehead. "That soda went right thru me."

"Alright. We'll wait for you by the entrance." Maya said. Mayuko nodded in agreement. The two girls dragged Shinji with them.

"I should go with you Chidori." Sousuke said and moved to follow.

"No you won't!" Kaname cut the boy off. She was tired and felt too happy to yell at him for his presumption. "Just wait for us at the front with the others. Okay." She growled the last.

"Very well." Sousuke reluctantly agreed and turned toward the front entrance.

"Whee! That was fun!" Kyouko all but skipped toward the back where the restrooms where located.

"Yeah, it was." Kaname agreed. "Too bad we can't stay." She blew her damp bangs out her eyes. "But we were lucky we could do this at all."

"Yeah." Kyouko nodded.

The two girls soon headed back. They giggled at the memory of Sousuke's gangly movements on the dance floor. Suddenly Kaname bumped into a large man in a suit and whose dark hair was spiky at the bangs.. "I'm so sorry!" Kaname apologized. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm fine." The man straightened his jacket and moved past the girls.

Kaname was about to leave when she noticed the man's wallet on the ground. "Oh no, he must of dropped this." She looked at Kyouko. "I'll meet up front okay. "

"Okay." Kyouko agreed and continued toward the entrance. She pointedly ignored Crispin as her path took her past the boy's seat.

"Sir! Sir!" Kaname hurriedly caught up to the man as he was about to enter the men's restroom. She blushed at the thought as he turned toward her. "You dropped your wallet, Sir." She held out the leather billfold to the man.

"Thank you. You're very considerate." Gauron smiled as he slowly took the wallet from Kaname's hand.

* * *

"God, this sucks!" Fitz whined as he leaned against the hood of a dark green Honda CR-V. The Caucasian Marine watched the festival restlessly. They were parked in an ally a block off International Street and the rear of the small SUV was obscured by shadows.

"Easy there." O'Campo soothed his agitated companion. "We're doing exactly what we're supposed to be doing."

"Man, come on! This is it?" Fitz went on. "All the cloak and dagger crap for this? What bullshit!" Fitz crossed his arms in annoyance.

O'Campo chuckled at the younger marine.

"We were told exactly what we'd be doing." Marlen pointed out. He was sitting in the driver's seat with the window rolled down. "No use complaining about it now."

"It's just his way, Marlen." O'Campo said with a grin. "Little cherry's just trying to hide his nervousness." He and the black man laughed.

"I'm not!" Fitz sputtered indigently.

"Heads up ladies!" Gwen called out of the darkened ally. "Pop the hatch." The mercenary commanded as he came to the vehicle's rear.

As previously discussed, Marlen pulled the latch for the back hatch and started the SUV. O'Campo and Fitz kept watch on each side of the Honda. Gwen pulled the hatch open and stood aside.

Gauron came striding out of the darkness. Over his shoulder was a bound and gagged Kaname. The girl thrashed and yelled as best she could, but the mercenary was unfazed.

"Holy Shit!" Fitz gawked. "A girl!"

"No shit dumb ass!" O'Campo snapped. "Now zip it!"

Gauron glanced at the young Marine but said nothing. He walked to the back of the CR-V and dumped the girl unceremoniously inside. He casually slipped inside the open passenger door while Gwen tossed a thick blanket over the bound girl and shut the back hatch.

"It's a chick! A hot chick!" Fitz stood wide-eyed as everyone climbed into the Honda. Gwen took shotgun. Gauron and O'Campo sat in the passenger seat. Marlen was already behind the wheel.

"Get your hand out of your pants and get inside!" Gwen stuck his head out and glared at the young Marine.

"Right." Fitz shook his head and climbed into the passenger seat with Gauron and O'Campo.

"Take 17 south." Gwen told Marlen as Fitz shut the door. "I'll tell you when to turn off."

"Whatever you say." The black man shrugged, put the vehicle in gear, and drove as directed. Within a minute they turned the corner and completely vanished from sight.

End Chapter 16

**A/N: Just an FYI, my beta reader declared I'm a total bastard after this cliffhanger. hehehe**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N - Now we're on to the adventure! Whee! I take far too much glee in all of this. After ch. 16 my beta reader declared I am a bastard and that Ch. 17 did not make it any better. :) heh**

**The Devil Inside**

Chapter 17

"Where's Chidori?" Sousuke asked.

"She's right behind me." Kyouko explained as she met the others at the club entrance. "She's returning some guy's wallet."

"I see." Sousuke frowned as he scanned the club for a sign of blue hair. He did not like Kaname being separated from the group. He eyes efficiently swept the club starting at the back and moving forward. He paused when his eyes met those of Crispin Daniels who was still seated at the bar.

"Relax." Maya swatted the sergeant on the shoulder. "Kaname's right. You're too tense." The three girls burst out into laughter.

Sousuke looked at the girls in puzzlement. He turned to Shinji for answers. The boy shrugged in response.

"God hurry up Kaname." Mayuko whined. "We've got to get going."

"Where's Kaname?" A dark voice demanded.

"AH!" The three girls and Shinji shrieked when Crispin suddenly appeared behind them. "Don't do that!"

"Where is she?" Crispin ignored the others and locked stares with Sousuke.

"She should return momentarily." Sousuke answered tightly. His eyes bored into the mechanic's.

The others stared apprehensively at the stand-off. Unlike Kaname, they did not have the desire to stand between the two boys.

"Cris, don't do this." Kyouko pleaded. Maya, Shinji, and Mayuko bobbed their heads.

"Where. Is. She?" Crispin's eyes never wavered as he bit the words out.

Sousuke's eyes flicked to the rear of the club. To his growing unease he saw no sign of the blue-haired girl. "I." He licked his lips. "I don't know?"

Crispin spun and stalked into the club's interior. Sousuke wordlessly followed. Until he was stopped by a hand on his sleeve.

"Sousuke, what's happening? What's wrong?" Kyouko asked desperately as she clung to the boy's sleeve.

Sousuke reached down and pried the girl's hand of his sleeve. He noticed the others frightened looks. "I don't know." He walked away and called over his shoulder. "I'll be right back."

Sousuke moved past the flickering lights of the dance floor and approached the area of the restrooms. He spotted Daniels holding a young women with bleached hair by the arm. He frowned and hurried to assist the girl when she jerked herself free and stalked off.

"She just came out of the bathroom." Crispin explained as Sousuke neared. "And she hasn't seen a blue-haired girl." He turned and Sousuke was shocked to see the mechanic's eyes blaze with fury.

"Daniels. What?" Sousuke was cut off when Crispin whirled and stormed into the girl's bathroom.

"Check the men's." Crispin snapped over his shoulder as the door shut. The women's rest room was currently unoccupied. It had two stalls, a sink with a mirror and towel dispenser and one urinal.

Crispin slowly peered into the stalls. The first one was exactly what you'd expect. A little graffiti. A toilet, some paper. That was it. The second was the same except….

"The window." Crispin breathed. It was a small, but a small person could squeeze through. And the engineer knew from the club's layout that the bathroom was partially below ground level and that the window was actually even with the ground outside.

Crispin stood up on tiptoes and inspected the window. What he saw made his blood freeze. The seal of the window frame had been broken. "No." He breathed as he carefully checked the entire frame. The seal was completely broken all around.

Some instinct told him to look down and at Crispin's feet was pieces of grout used to seal the frame. He picked up a piece. It was hard and unyielding. To the mechanic's trained eye it was as old as the grout still in the broken seal.

Crispin glanced around the rest room. It was clean and tidy, obviously the club cleaned it regularly, probably every hour or so. That meant the grout had not been there long.

Crispin dropped the piece of grout when the door to the restroom burst open. He heard the giggling of two females. Crispin turned on his heel and marched out of the restroom. He ignored the shrieks of the two startled girls. Outside he found Sousuke Sagara waiting.

"Nothing." Sousuke reported with clenched jaw.

"Is there a window?" Crispin asked. At Sousuke's shake he grimaced. "There's one in the girl's room." He stared hard at the Mithril sergeant. "The seal's been broken and it leads outside. My guess is the ally." Sousuke nodded in understanding.

As one the two Mithril agents turned and marched determinedly toward the club's entrance. They were stopped by a very worried Kyouko and company.

"Did you find her?" Kyouko asked desperately. At the teens' grim looks tears pooled in her eyes. "Where is she? Where's Kaname!" She was ready to sob. "This isn't funny!"

"Stop that!" Crispin grabbed Kyouko by the arms and shook her. "That won't help Kaname now!"

"What do you mean?" Mayuko asked fearfully.

"Chidori's…." Sousuke hesitated. It would not do to reveal classified information. Yet as he stared at the four worried teens he knew they would not let him leave without some explanation. "Chidori's gone."

"What? What do you mean?" Maya gasped. Sousuke stared unsure how to respond.

"Hey this isn't funny." Mayuko tried to yell but it came out a whisper.

"She's gone!" Crispin yelled. The four teens jumped as he continued. "Get it thru your heads! She's not here."

"You're lying!" Kyouko yelled back. "She was right behind me! Stop lying!" She started to cry as she spoke. "This isn't funny!"

The others stared wide-eyed and white faced as the brown-haired girl sobbed in Crispin's grasp.

"Kyouko, listen to me." Crispin shook the hysterical girl roughly. "LISTEN!" At his yell Kyouko gasped and looked up. She fell silent at his intense stare. "It's not a joke. She's gone." Kyouko gave another choked sob. "But we'll get her back!" Crispin shook her again.

"Huh." Kyouko could not think straight. Her best friend was gone. "What?" She stared glassy-eyed at the American.

"We'll get her back." Crispin insisted. He gave the girl another shake. "Do you hear me?" At the girl's reluctant nod he continued. "We'll get her back."

"But?" Kyouko protested weakly.

"We'll get her back!" Crispin insisted again. "You have to trust me!" He shook the girl one more time. "Do you trust me Kyouko?"

Kyouko starred miserably at the stocky boy. Her mind felt fuzzy and a sharp twisting pain pulsed in her abdomen. It was hard to think, but his words finally registered. "I trust you." Kyouko whispered brokenly. "I trust you Cris."

"We'll bring her back." Crispin surprised everyone (including himself) by hugging the girl. "I promise we'll bring her back."

"Okay." Kyouko sniffed and returned the hug. "I believe you."

"Hey, is there some kind of problem here?" The club's bouncer asked the distraught group. He looked at the crying Kyouko and pale faced Maya, Shinji, and Mayuko and the grim faced Mithril soldiers. "These two bothering you guys?" The bouncer indicated Sousuke and Crispin.

"NO!" Kyouko's shout startled all of them. "No, we're fine." She sniffed and wiped her eyes. Everyone nodded.

"If you say so." The bouncer regarded them warily. "Try to keep it down. You're disturbing the guests.

"Keep it down!" Maya seethed. "I'll show you dis-OW!" The long-haired girl was cut off by Mayuko stepping on her foot.

"Thank you." Sousuke said. "We'll keep that in mind. We apologize for disturbing your guests." The bouncer nodded and drifted away.

"What are you going to do Sousuke?" Shinji asked once the bouncer left. Now he was certain Sousuke was more than just a military geek like himself.

"That's not important." Sousuke calmly explained. "What's important is that you four get back to the others." He glanced at Crispin who still had Kyouko in his arms.

"Right, we need to tell our teacher." Mayuko said. "And she can call the cops."

"You can't." Crispin released Kyouko. "At least not yet." He shared a glance with Sousuke who reluctantly nodded. "Wait ten minutes and then tell her. Got that?"

"Ten minutes?" Kyouko whispered. "Why?"

"Just do it!" Crispin snapped. When the girls jumped, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "We're wasting time. Just wait ten minutes. Please?"

"Cris." Kyouko trailed off and finally nodded. The others nodded too.

"Good." Crispin nodded at Sousuke, "lets go." He took two steps and froze. "Damn!" He turned and raced back to the bar. "Forgot something!" He retrieved his book bag laying next to his old seat and hurried back.

"A book bag. Yay we're saved." Maya weakly joked.

"Let's go." Crispin said to Sousuke. Together the two soldiers walked outside 'The Dragonfly' and onto the festival ridden International Street.

Kyouko sighed as she watched the two disappear into the crowds. This was going to be the longest ten minutes of her life. "Kaname, I hope you're alright." The girl whispered.

* * *

"Split up?' Crispin asked as they pushed thru the crowds.

"No, I think we should investigate the ally behind the club."

"Right." Crispin nodded and the two walked to the end of the block. A minute later they were in the ally behind 'The Dragonfly'.

"This must be it." Sousuke crouched next to a window that was flush with the ground. He peered inside and could barely see what looked to be a bathroom thru the frosted glass. The sergeant inspected the window frame itself and confirmed its seal had been broken as Daniels reported.

"Look." Crispin crouched next to Sousuke and pointed at the ground in front of the window. There were slight gouges, scratches really, in the ground before the window seal.

"They pulled the window out by the frame." Sousuke stated. "Easier too climb thru and pull someone out." He looked at Crispin. "A two man job?"

"That's my guess." Crispin grimly answered. One man inside to grab Kaname and a second waiting right outside to pull her and his accomplice thru. "Two men." His mind thrummed the words. "It's just like…." He cut the thought off. Otherwise Crispin knew he would start screaming. It was all he could do to keep the bubbling fear and sense of powerlessness from overwhelming him.

Sousuke slowly stood and Crispin followed suit. "I doubt we'll find any more information here." Sousuke observed as he scanned the ally. "I suggest we sweep the block." His jaw tightened. "Maybe someone saw something." It was a long shot, but they had to be methodical. The most insignificant detail could be the lead they needed.

"Right. I'll head left. You go right." Crispin spoke softly. "We'll meet at the southwest corner." He glanced at his watch. "Fifteen mikes sound good?"

"Fifteen mikes. Southwest corner. Understood." Sousuke nodded and strode back into the crowded International Street.

Crispin sagged against the ally wall after the sergeant had disappeared. "Please." He begged. "Not again."

* * *

"So where are we headed anyway?" O'Campo asked Gwen. He did not ask Gauron, the ruthless mercenary had made it clear he wanted little to do with the three Marines. That suited O'Campo just fine. While he and Gwen were hard, dangerous men. There was something about Gauron that made the Hispanic Marine uneasy.

"You'll know when we get there." Gwen calmly replied.

"Come on!" Fitz insisted. "Cut the crap. Just tell us where we're going!"

"Aren't you a little chatterbox." Gauron observed. Everyone fell silent as he spoke. His head leaned back against the head rest and his eyes were closed "It's disturbing my nap. Are you trying to keep me from getting some shut eye?" Gauron's question was innocent enough, but the edge of his voice made everyone in the small SUV shudder.

The young Marine gulped nervously. "N-no sir." Fitz stammered. "I was just curious. No biggie." He shrugged sheepishly and starred out the window. They were approaching the city limits of Naha and would soon be in the country side.

"Alright, we'll be coming up to 67. I want you to go south." Gwen explained to Marlen. The black man nodded.

They drove in silence, the only sound was the occasional thump and grunt from the back. After an hour Gwen spoke up again. "See that rest stop up ahead. Pull into it."

Marlen did as instructed and soon they were at a rest stop. It was about 10:00 p.m. but there were a few other cars parked at the rest stop. No one seemed to be around though. Marlen cut the ignition and they sat in silence. Except for the thrashing of the tied up girl in the back.

"So, uh, what next?" Fitz whispered.

"We wait." Gauron answered. His eyes still closed.

* * *

"Nothing!" Crispin cursed as he approached the southwest corner of the block 'The Dragonfly' sat upon. "Absolutely nothing!" He paused and looked around but saw no sign of Sagara. By now Kyouko and the others must have told the teachers what had happened.

"Damn, we're gonna have to clear out pretty soon." He suddenly kicked a bottle at his feet into the ally. He was satisfied to hear it shatter.

"That was unnecessary." Sousuke chided as he walked up.

"Screw you Sagara!" Crispin snapped. He was not happy with the Mithril sergeant right now. "You're one to talk!"

"What do you mean?" Sousuke was really confused now. Dealing with Daniels was very trying.

"I mean you were supposed to be her BODYGUARD!" Crispin turned and yelled in the sergeant's face. "What the fuck were you thinking?" He grabbed the boy by the collar. "You moron. You let them get her!" Crispin was on the verge of tears as he shook the startled Sousuke. "You let them get her!"

"Daniels!" Sousuke quickly pushed the mechanic's hands from his collar. "Get a hold of yourself! Assigning blame accomplishes nothing."

"Don't give me THAT!" Crispin screamed. "You were supposed to watch after her! YOU! Mr. Perfect-Fucking Soldier!" Crispin spat.

"I KNOW THAT!" Sousuke yelled back. "I don't need you telling me Daniels!" Sousuke had enough. He was not going to put up with anymore abuse.

"Don't make me laugh!" Crispin taunted. "You fucked up and now they'll-!" He stopped and a piercing whine tore from his throat. Crispin turned away and started hyperventilating.

"What?" Sousuke demanded. He felt a heavy weight settle in his stomach at the Lance Corporal's words. "What do they want with her?"

"T-they." Crispin gasped for breath and leaned against the ally wall for support. "Oh god." He shuddered. "Oh, god please not again!" He gave a strangled sob at the last.

"Daniels?" Sousuke watched in alarm as the stocky American began to fall apart. "What is it? Talk to me?" He put a hand on the others shoulder. He repressed a shudder at the clammy feel of Crispin's sweat-soaked skin. When he got no response he turned the mechanic around and shoved him against the wall. "Tell me damn it! I can't help her if you don't tell me!" Sousuke pleaded the last.

"They." Crispin flopped like a fish out of water. "They'll" His lips trembled and this time he DID sob. "They'll tear her apart! God, they'll tear her apart just like Allie!" A scream clawed its way from Crispin's throat, but he fought it back. The pain he felt was a tangible thing. Hot tears flowed Crispin's cheeks as he slid down to the ground. "I was too late!" He curled up into a ball and repeated himself. "I was too late!"

Sousuke stared in horror at the mechanic's words. Suddenly the girl he had extracted from Kahbarovsk flashed thru Sousuke's mind….

"_What are you going to do to me?"_

"What?" Sousuke licked his lips and his heart pounded in his chest. "No it can't." He squeezed his eyes shut as his mind was assaulted by images…

"_We had to sedate her."_

"_She kept screaming! She tried to gnaw her hands off!"_

"No!" Sousuke grated. "No it won't." His eyes snapped open and he stared at the huddled corporal at his feet. "Daniels! Listen to me!" He got no response. Sousuke squatted next to the mechanic and shook him by the shoulder. "LISTEN! It's not over! There's still time!" he was frantic as he shook the corporal. "We can save her! But we have to act NOW!"

"Wah?" Crispin muttered dazedly.

"We can save her Daniels!" Sousuke declared. "But we can't waste time. They don't have much of a lead. We need to put our heads together. Figure out where they went. And we need to contact the de Danaan. The Commander needs to be informed. He can lock down the island."

"The Old Man?" Crispin muttered.

"Yes! He needs to be informed." Sousuke gave the mechanic another shake. "Get up Daniels!" Sousuke hesitated. He hated what he was about to say, but Kaname's life was in danger. His pride was a small thing in comparison. "I can't do it alone."

"You can't do it alone?" Crispin dazedly asked. "Save her? We can save her?" There was a hopeful quality to his voice.

"Yes, but only if you pull it together. We have to contact headquarters!"

"I-yes I understand." Crispin blinked and became aware of his surroundings again. With Sousuke's help, He slowly picked himself off the ally's floor.

* * *

Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin idly flipped thru his calendar at his desk. It was late evening and he wanted to prepare for tomorrow. One thing about working for Mithril, unlike his time in the Soviet Army, there was always something that needed doing. Even when there was not some crisis threatening the world, it was imperative that equipment and men remain in top form.

Training scenarios and war games, a staple of any military life, was doubly important for Mithril. With the successful Cruise missile strike on the Whispered Research Facility it was important that the men and women of the Tuatha de Danaan maintain constant readiness. They could not afford to be caught off guard. That was part of why he had given Sgt. Major Mao and her team a weeks leave.

"Sir." The intercom buzz roused the Russian officer from his thoughts.

"Yes, what is it?" Kalinin asked.

"Conn. has an incoming transmission. Sir"

Kalinin frowned. "That's hardly my concern. Who is the duty officer on watch?" His time was too valuable to be wasted on such trivialities.

"Uh, that would be me, Ensign Yamada, sir." The voice sounded sheepish over the static-filled intercom.

"Get to the point, Ensign. " Kalinin frowned as he spoke. Yamada was a good man, young, but he had a good head on his shoulders. The Russian could hardly imagine the Ensign would bother a senior officer over a routine transmission.

"It's encoded for you personally sir. There's no identifier, and the frequency is strange sir."

"What's the frequency?" Kalinin asked. He was curious now.

"Zulu-981."

"I'll be right there!" Kalinin all but leapt from his desk. That was the frequency reserved for the marker implanted in Cpl. Daniels. He felt a small knot of concern as he hurried toward the bridge. "What could be so urgent for Daniels to attempt contact now?" He thought worriedly.

* * *

"_Judas-1. This is Golden Goose. Over."_

Crispin nearly sobbed in relief. He was trembling in exhaustion from trying to 'contact' the Old Man on the de Danaan. The chip in his shoulder extracted a heavy toll on the Lance Corporal with each use.

"_They got her! They got her Old Man!" _

"_Judas-1. You will maintain proper radio procedure-"_

"_FUCK your procedure! They got her Old Man! Do you hear me? They GOT HER!" _

"_Got who? Judas-1 what?"_

"_Kaname you stupid Russky! Angel! 17-A! Whatever you want to call her. She's gone!"_

Crispin trembled as silence was his only answer. Pain racked his body and he was slumped against the ally wall he'd collapsed against earlier.

"_Judas-1. Explain. Over"_

Crispin resisted the urge to curse as he shakily outlined the chain of events that lead to Kaname Chidori's kidnapping. He also reported Sagara's whereabouts (right next to him).

"_Understood Judas-1. You and Urzu-7 report to Field-17 immediately."_

"_Fuck that! What about a rescue? You can't leave her-" _Crispin protested.

"_We'll organize search parties immediately. Our spy satellites are already overhead and should be able to pinpoint any suspicious movement. You and Urzu-7 have done your jobs. Now it is time for us to do ours."_

"_Hell no!" _Crispin's fist convulsed open and closed as he 'spoke'. Field-17 was the designation for the first open field available from your current position. It was a command for withdrawal and extraction.

"_I'm not going anywhere! I'm going to find those bastard and waste their asses!"_

"_Judas-1 your actions will jeopardize the mission. Furthermore your attitude is hardly helping your own case any."_

"_I DON'T CARE!" _Crispin's whole arm shook uncontrollably now. _"I'm going to find her. If you want to stop me you'll have to flip that little kill switch you put in this chip." _Crispin gasped as spots began to dance before his eyes. "_That's the only way you'll stop me." _

Sousuke watched in fascination as Crispin closed his eyes and focused his attention inward. After a short while the Mithril sergeant swore he could feel a thrumming in the air around the mechanic. That fascination turned to alarm as the AS engineer begin to sweat and convulse.

"Daniels!" He caught the mechanic as he suddenly collapsed. "What happened? Daniels!" Sousuke shook the stocky corporal in growing alarm. He sighed in relief when the American finally moaned.

"Ugh, highly uncomfortable my ass!" Crispin complained woozily as he sat up. "Where am I?"

"You're in the ally on the southwest corner. One block south of International Street." Sousuke answered precisely. "Can you stand?"

"Yeah, no problem. I think." Crispin braced himself against the ally wall and slowly pulled himself up. He gasped as a wave of vertigo overwhelmed him. "I'm okay." He gasped and straightened up. "Just need some air." He took several deep breaths and slowly exhaled.

"What happened?" Sousuke asked once the color had returned to Crispin's face.

"I-I contacted the Old Man." Crispin explained as he scratched his shoulder. "Did I burn it out?" Crispin thought idly. He expected Kalinin to try and contact him and demand he return to the de Danaan, but so far he got nothing.

"How?" Sousuke frowned. He saw no way for a communication to have taken place.

"I just did. Alright!" Crispin snapped. He did not feel like explaining Kalinin's little science experiment.

"Very well." Sousuke accepted Daniels word for the moment. "What did the Commander say?"

"He's mobilizing search teams. Some spy satellites are passing over head so tracking them shouldn't be too tough." Crispin scratched his chin and finally added. "Oh and we're supposed to report to Field-17."

"Field-17?" Sousuke starred at the corporal. He felt a chill of uncertainty pass thru him.

"Yup." Crispin grinned. "Guess you don't get to be the hero today Sagara. Of course, you've already fucked up so I don't blame the Old Man!" He was unsurprised when Sousuke grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into the ally wall.

"Enough!" Sousuke growled thru clenched teeth. "I'm tired of your insults Daniels!" Sousuke ignored the hurt part of him that agreed with the corporal's assessment. He SHOULD have kept a closer eye on Kaname.

"Truth hurts don't it Sagara?" Crispin laughed in the sergeant's face. "Now be a good little soldier and run back to that floating tin can." The mechanic's smile widened. "Wouldn't want to disobey orders would we?"

"Shut UP!" Sousuke threw Crispin to the ground with a yell. However he made no further move toward the downed corporal.

"Come on Sagara!" Crispin taunted as he leapt to his feet. "That's the best you got?" He advanced on the sergeant. "Kalinin's favorite little commando afraid?" He jeered. "That's funny."

With a growl Sousuke balled his fist and swung at the grinning Crispin. The mechanic ducked his swing, but was caught in the head by his snap-kick. Sousuke followed up on the staggered corporal by smashing his elbow into Crispin's temple. The force of the blow stunned the corporal and drove the mechanic to his knees.

"Nice." Crispin coughed on the ground. "You gonna drag me back to de Danaan like the Commissar ordered?" He sputtered and coughed as he tired to regain his senses. "Gonna abandon her just like that?"

"Daniels." Sousuke frowned at the corporal's words. For whatever reason he believed the corporal when he said they were ordered to Field-17. It made tactical sense. Any action they might take could potentially disrupt the search and rescue efforts.

On the other hand. Sousuke knew it would take at least an hour before the de Danaan could mount any kind of serious search effort. In that time the kidnappers would be farther away. However, he looked skyward, if Mithril's satellites were indeed overhead than the chances of finding Chidori improved drastically.

But Sousuke still came to the factor of time. Even if they pinpointed the kidnappers precise location; it would be an hour before a rescue team would arrive. Anything could happen in that time. They could move to another location. They could kill Chidori. Or worse. Sousuke recalled the mechanic's earlier ravings and his own mind conjured disturbing images…

_The terror filled gaze of the girl he pulled out of Kahbarovsk _

_The same gaze on Kaname as she huddled in some corner. _

_A shadowy figure leaning over a bound and gagged Kaname. His hand reaching for her. _

"NO!" Sousuke shook the disturbing images from his mind. He stepped back from the figure huddled on the ally floor. Sousuke gasped for breath as Crispin slowly pull himself up.

"What's it gonna be Sagara?" Crispin whispered. He staggered to his feet and rested his hands on his knees.

"I-." Sousuke wet his lips. For one of the first times in his life he was uncertain about the proper course of action. "I don't know." He confessed. "What can we do?" He asked helpless. "We have no equipment. No support. And no way of finding them." Sousuke grimaced. He'd never felt so helpless.

"Heh, you're wrong." Crispin smiled.

End Chapter 17


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Gah! Can't believe it's been so long. Sorry for the long wait. Real life and grad school got in the way...again! Good news is that the story's practically all written. Just a matter of editing and posting. So if I take too long doing so you have my permission to poke me with sharp sticks until I post the next chapter. (No way will that haunt me!)**

**Special shout out to Urzu 11 - your enthusiasm is really appreciated. I know it's kinda late but i'm happy to discuss any kind of ideas you may have. And I totally loved Sousuke in the club. Heh. The girls wanna meet cute guys? Well, by god he'll find them some cute guys. Whether they want him to or not lol!  
**

**Anyway, now we get to see how well Crispin and Sousuke can work together... I'm taking bets on how long 'till they kill each other. heh!  
**

**The Devil Inside**

Chapter 18

"How long we going to sit here?" Marlen asked from the drivers seat. It had been over an hour since they pulled into the rest stop. In the back the occasional thump and muffled grunt could be heard. "I know this is your show, but that's getting really annoying." He jerked his chin at the cargo compartment.

Gauron's eyes snapped open and stared at the black Marine. Marlen returned the stare evenly. Finally Gauron smiled and looked at his watch. It read 11:15 p.m. Mithril's spy satellite had passed by. "We're done." He explained, opened the passenger door and stepped out. Everyone else followed.

"O'Campo. You and the kid check out those vehicles." Gwen jerked his head toward the parked cars. "I don't want any surprises."

"You got it." O'Campo nodded. He and Fitz casually walked over to look over the parked cars in the rest stop.

While the two checked the other vehicles Gauron took the Honda's keys from Marlen. The mercenary opened the trunk and pulled the blanket off the sprawled form of Kaname. The blue-haired girl was on her side. Her hands bound at the wrists and behind her back with zip cuffs. A thick gag ran across her mouth.

"I apologize for the uncomfortable accommodations." Gauron said without a hint of warmth. "We're in a bit of a hurry. You understand." He grasped her upper arm and hauled the girl to her feet. She gasped in pain as he pulled her arm. "Ah, fell asleep did it?" Gauron smiled unkindly. "The discomfort will pass, I assure you."

Kaname exhaled through her nose loudly and tried to yank herself free of the mercenaries crushing grip. When that proved ineffective the blue-haired girl stomped on his foot instead. Gauron's smile vanished and he slammed her into the side of the vehicle. Kaname grunted in pain and spots danced before her vision. The girl moaned and would've collapsed if Gauron had not held her up by the arm.

Ignoring the girl's groan, Gwen reached into the back of the Honda and pulled out two large black metal cases. One was relatively square but the other was longer and more rectangular. Both looked like firearm carriers. "Now I see why you didn't want to knock her out." He said conversationally as he opened one case. He nodded at the contents and closed it. "No way in hell I'm carrying her."

"I'll do it!" Fitz beamed as he and O'Campo returned. He stepped around a scowling Gwen and impassive Gauron and took a good look at the bound Kaname. "Daaamn." He whistled appreciatively. "Oh definitely!" The young Marine smirked.

"Shut your hole Fitz!" O'Campo snapped as he walked up. "We got a job to do." Shaking his head, the large Hispanic turned toward Gwen. "The area's clean. But I figured you knew that." He nodded toward Fitz who ogling the blue-haired girl.

"Never could fool you." Gwen grinned as he pulled out the cases and slammed the hatch shut. "Hey, lover boy!" Gwen snapped at Fitz. "Lock this thing up." He tossed the keys to the young Marine.

"Wha? Why me?" Fitz caught the keys. When all he received in answer was stares he muttered. "Alright fine!" He took the keys and began to lock the Honda.

"You sure this is a good idea?" Gwen muttered to Gauron and nodded toward the three Marines.

"They're your friends." Gauron pointed out. "And it's certain the agent will be looking for the girl." He pulled Kaname to his side. "Time's not a luxury we have."

"I know." Gwen sighed. He hated this. Hated everything about it. But like Gauron said O'Campo was a friend and had vouched for the other two. "Alright ladies listen up." Gwen called out to the three Marines and walked toward the front of the Honda. He set the two cases on the hood while he waited for his audience to gather. The mercenary popped open the square case. Inside were five sets of NVGs and two 9mm semi-automatic pistols.

"Holy shit!" Fitz whistled. O'Campo and Marlen nodded in agreement. "You guys don't fool around huh." Fitz grinned as the mercenary passed out the goggles to the three Marines. The three were very familiar with NVGs and quickly checked and adjusted them for the best fit.

Gwen pulled the two pistols out and checked their magazines. Each was fully loaded. He handed one to O'Campo and hesitated before handing the second to Fitz. Gwen was uneasy with the young Marine being armed, but desperate times and all that.

"We got a long march so keep a sharp eye out." Gwen explained as he opened the second case. It contained two Austrian made sub-machine guns, the Steyr AUG Rifle, what made these rifles unique was the bull-pup design that placed the weapon's action behind the trigger instead of in front of it. This made for a sturdier and more efficient design. Each Steyr Aug came with three fully loaded thirty round magazines. He took one of the bull-pup styled sub-machine guns for himself and handed the other to Marlen. "Don't get trigger happy or I'll shoot you myself. Got it?" The three Marines nodded earnestly. Gwen snapped the cases shut and held the keys out toward Fitz. "Alright kid put these in the trunk."

"What? You just had me lock the damn thing up!" Fitz protested.

"Well do it again." Gwen snapped. With a scowl the young marine snatched the keys out of Gwen's hand and carried the two cases to the SUV's rear.

O'Campo laughed at the younger man's antics and clapped Gwen on the shoulder. "That'll teach him!"

Gwen said nothing. His eyes were on Marlen who was studying the bull-pup designed gun in his hands. "You know how to use that?"

"Sure do. Just admiring it. The Austrians make some damn fine weapons." The black man smiled and slammed a magazine into place. He slipped the shoulder strap over his own shoulder and let the weapon hang beneath his arm. "Oh yeah. This I like." He smiled and patted the weapon.

"You expecting any trouble?" O'Campo frowned at the hardware his buddy had pulled out.

"Not particularly." Gauron interrupted and dragged Kaname over to the group. "We just like to be prepared."

"What's so special about this girl anyway?" Marlen asked. He glanced cursorily over the blue-haired girl. "Sure, she's easy on the eyes, but she ain't all THAT." Kaname huffed and tried to kick the black Marine.

"I think you upset her." Gauron smiled. "Didn't your mother ever teach you it's not polite to speak to a lady that way?"

Marlen laughed.

"What's so funny?" Fitz asked as he rejoined the group. Nobody answered. "Come on! What's so funny?"

"Forget it kid." O'Campo said and clapped Fitz on the shoulder.

"Alright, here's the plan." Gwen said once he had pocketed the keys Fitz had returned. "There's a path over that way." He nodded toward the southern end of the rest area. "We're going to follow it until I say otherwise. Got it?" The Marines nodded. "Let's go." He started toward the path.

"You want us to spread out or something? Any kind of formation?" O'Campo asked as they walked across the rest area.

"That won't be necessary." Gauron said. "Just keep a look out." He turned toward Kaname as he fitted a pair of NVGs over his head. "Oh and keep an eye on the young lady here. Wouldn't want her to get silly ideas."

"Yeah, if she bolts shoot her. That's what the weapons are for." Gwen smiled as he turned on his NVGs. The Marine's chuckled and Gwen knew his message had been received. They knew as well as he did that the weapons they carried was far too excessive just to keep one girl from running.

But Kaname did not know that.

"Hey, she's even got her running shoes on." Fitz joked as he pointed at the girl's bright pink shoes. The others (excluding Gauron) laughed.

"That's enough." Gauron growled as he shoved Kaname before him onto the path. "Move your feet." The girl stumbled in the darkness as they left the poorly lit rest stop behind and vanished into the moonless night.

* * *

"What do you mean?" Sousuke frowned at the smirking Crispin.

"Simple, I can track her." Crispin wiped his lip and stood up. "So what's it gonna be Sagara?"

"Track her?" Sousuke looked dubious. He shifted his stance and regarded the AS engineer warily. Something in Daniels demeanor put the sergeant on edge.

"Yeah track, as in follow. Go after. Locate. Catch my drift?" Crispin snapped. He was tired of the posturing and games. He needed to find Kaname NOW.

"How?"

"I planted a homing beacon on her alright!" Crispin snapped in exasperation. He stalked over toward the edge of the ally and retrieved his book bag. He dug through it and pulled out a small black electronic device that looked a look like a smart phone. "See?" He held the device up.

"What is that?" Sousuke slid forward to get a closer look. He could see it had a large color touch screen with what looked like a topographical map. However Sousuke could not be certain because Crispin lowered it before he got a good look.

"It's my personnel diagnostic network device. Built it myself." The stocky boy's pride was unmistakable. "Got all kinds of info in here. And some pretty powerful sensors too." He said the last pointedly.

"Impressive, but I fail to see how that helps you track Chidori." Sousuke said.

"Like I said. I planted a homing device on her." Crispin bit the words out.

"We should inform the commander."

Crispin resisted the urge to curse. "Forget it! It'll take them at least an hour to mobilize a response team and you know it!" He exhaled loudly and added. "And the range on this thing ain't that great." At Sousuke's doubtful look he yelled. "Come on! We're wasting time."

"Actually, if the commander knew Chidori's location. He could have an SRT here in twenty mikes." Sousuke pointed out reasonably.

"No he couldn't." Crispin gritted his teeth. "Sagara, the de'Danaan isn't parked right off shore. The Seventh Fleet's been chasing after it for the past eight months! It's got to be at least three hundred miles away, and a Six-Pack can only go so fast!"

"I am aware of that." Sousuke frowned. "But-"

"Shut UP!" Crispin seethed. "You don't know it's position. I don't know it's position. And I refuse to sit around for the Old Man to get off his ass!" He turned and walked out of the ally. "Screw this! I'm going to find her!"

Sousuke watched as Daniels strode angrily out of the alleyway. He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. His soldier's instincts insisted the most prudent course would be to inform the commander of Daniel's device. A fully-armed and mobilized SRT could rescue Kaname before the kidnappers knew what hit them. However…

Everything about this kidnapping felt wrong. It was bold. Too bold. Were the kidnappers stupid? Or desperate? It had to be a small group, probably two maybe three men. Any larger and they would be too conspicuous. It would be child's play for a SRT to eliminate them. Yet, somehow that seemed wrong to the Mithril sergeant.

Kaname was in danger. And that bothered Sousuke. A lot. He could not shake the fear that something else was at work. Some unknown variable that could cost them everything. He could not put his finger on it, but it was there. Like some shadowy specter hanging over them, waiting to strike.

_"And I refuse to sit around for the Old Man to get off his ass!"_

Daniels words rang in Sousuke's ears, and despite all logic. All tactical sense. He found himself agreeing with the temperamental engineer. Sousuke watched Daniels walk out of the ally, turn left and disappear from sight. Running a hand through his sweat soaked hair, Sousuke sighed and followed after the American. "Daniels! Wait up!"

* * *

"How did you get a tracking device on Chidori? Where did you get a tracking device?" Sousuke asked as he and Daniels crouched behind a dumpster three blocks south of International Street. The noise of the festival was faint but still very audible.

"I built one." Crispin smirked when Sousuke turned to him incredulous. "It wasn't hard." He shrugged. "As to how I got it on her?" His smirk widened. "I stuck it into the sole of those pink shoes she likes so damn much."

"When?" Sousuke asked. He was sure getting close enough to Kaname things to plant a homing beacon would have been difficult, if not impossible. The girl was very vigilant.

"About two nights ago. When she was asleep."

Sousuke stared at Crispin hoping it was a joke. When he realized it was not he could not decide if he should be impressed or disturbed by the mechanic's actions.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't have the greatest range." Crispin scowled as he studied his computer. "I don't think she's in the city anymore." He felt a wave of panic rise. "Damn." Crispin squeezed his eyes shut.

"Easy Daniels." Sousuke soothed the corporal. "Stay focused."

"Yeah, I hear ya." Crispin took a deep breath. And another and exhaled heavily. His eyes opened. "Okay, what are we going to do?"

"You don't have anything?" Sousuke indicated the minicomputer in Crispin's hands. The mechanic shook his head negative. "Is it functioning properly?"

"Yes!" Crispin hissed. "I tested it!" He was quite indignant at Sousuke's implication. "I told you the range is limited!"

"What is the range?" Sousuke asked.

"Uh, I-uh haven't really had a chance to fully calibrate that..." Crispin shrugged sheepishly. At Sousuke's glare he hastily added. "I'd guess three maybe five klicks." He laughed nervously.

"Daniels." Sousuke shook his head. No wonder the Lance Corporal was so against informing the Commander. The intelligence Daniel's device could provide was severely limited. "We have nothing to go on. We need to pull back."

"Like hell!" Crispin snapped. "You can go running back to that Russky if you want! I sure as hell won't."

Sousuke sighed. Even with this new wrinkle the sergeant could not shake the feeling of dread he had. If they waited it would be too late. Somehow he knew this to be true. "So what do you suggest?" He finally asked.

"Well," Crispin licked his lips. "We have to figure out what their plan is." At Sousuke's look he amended. "General plan. Five klicks remember?" He held up his hand-sized computer. "We just have to get close enough and this baby will lead the way. Then we make the fuckers pay!" Crispin smiled at the thought.

"We have no weapons." Sousuke pointed out. "They most likely do."

"Well they can't be that well armed. Japan's got pretty draconian gun-control laws and this island's a fucking fortress with all these US bases." Crispin waved a hand around. "They'd be stupid to traipse around here with any kind of serious hardware."

"True, but a couple of side-arms and we'd be seriously outgunned." Sousuke frowned. The more and more they discussed it. The worse and worse the idea seemed. Yet he was compelled forward. The idea of stopping and not going after Kaname was impossible to contemplate. "And there are a lot of places to hide."

Crispin reluctantly agreed. Okinawa was an archipelago that consisted of four major island groups. Each group was formed of over a dozen islands. The largest was the island Okinawa and was were most people lived, but the other three groups had inhabitants as well. The archipelago consisted of over 160 islands. Of which only forty-four are inhabited. As Sousuke said, plenty of places to hide one girl and…. Crispin's hands curled into tight fists. Some things were best not thought of.

"Not again!" He swore silently. "Not this time!"

Crispin jerked as he became aware of a buzzing sound. "God damn!" He cursed and dropped his computer. He clutched his head as the buzzing grew louder.

"Daniels." Sousuke watched in alarm as the engineer started thrashing on the ground in pain. "What is it? Talk to me? What's wrong?" He placed a hand on the stocky American's shoulder. He felt a jolt pass thru him and drew his hand back with a hiss.

_"Judas-1. Report!"_

"_W-what do you want Old Man?" _Crispin focused his thoughts inward yet again. Somehow the communication was even more painful. Probably a result of the close time intervals between communication.

_"Judas-1. You and Urzu-7 are to report to Field 17. What is the delay? Over."_

"_I-I told you. I ain't going." _Crispin teeth clattered as he struggled to form his thoughts._ "y-you-you." _He began to convulse uncontrollably and white agony flared behind his eyes._ "You'll have t-t-to k-kill me first!"_

Sousuke shoved garbage and debris away from the convulsing corporal. The best thing he could do for the man was wait until the seizure passed. Sousuke frowned. This seemed like what happened when he contacted the commander before, but he was unsure. Daniels seemed to be in much worse shape than before. Could it be something else? He suspected Daniels was suffering from some mental illness. What kind the sergeant was not sure.

Finally after an eternity Crispin received another message.

_"Judas-1. You intend to disobey a direct order. Endanger yourself and Urzu-7. And jeopardize our entire operation? Is that what you want?"_

"_Y-you c-catch on quick! O-old Man!" _

_"Very well." Kalinin actually sighed. "If you insist on this foolish course than at least equip yourself properly."_

"_Wha?" _

_"Proceed to 175 Prostiller. An apothecary lives there. Tell him the 'White Tiger' sent you. He'll get you what you need. Golden Goose. Out."_

And like that the Old Man was gone.

"God." Crispin wheezed for breath. "That hurts!" He coughed and wheezed as his trembling body slowly stilled.

"Daniels. You alright?" Sousuke asked.

"What do you think?" Crispin coughed some more. Slowly his twitching ceased and his breathing returned to normal. He felt completely drained and his throat was parched. He had probably sweated off a couple of pounds. "Need water." He croaked through chapped lips.

"Can you stand?' Sousuke asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Crispin nodded as the younger sergeant put a shoulder under his arm and lifted him up.

* * *

Kalinin sighed as he sat the headset down. Dealing with Cpl. Daniels was trying at the best of times.

"Was that a wise thing to do?" A soft feminine voice asked from behind.

"Yes, Madam Captain, I think it was." Kalinin turned to regard the speaker. He was at the main communication terminal on the Tuatha de Danaan's bridge. The Captain studied him from the captain's chair. The frown on her pretty features indicated she did not share his assessment.

"You doubt me?' Kalinin smiled.

"No, it's not..." Tessa trailed off embarrassed. "I didn't mean to imply..."

"It's understandable." Kalinin smiled. "But something had to be done to calm Cpl. Daniels down. Any longer speaking with him could have caused him serious injury." Kalinin regarded Tessa a moment. "That is how you explained it to me just before I contacted him."

"Yes." Tessa agreed. "I understand that, but to actually encourage him?"

"Ah, but who says that I did?" Kalinin chuckled. At Tessa puzzled look he elaborated. "The man I directed Cpl. Daniels toward is an old friend. However," Kalinin's grinned. "White Tiger will mean nothing to him. Cpl. Daniels will find no help there."

"Won't he become angry when he realizes your deception?" Tessa asked worriedly. "He could hurt your friend."

"Sgt. Sagara will keep him in line. Of that you can be assured." Kalinin turned and accepted a folder handed to him by a crewman.

"I-" Tessa stammered at the thought of the dark-haired sergeant. "I'd hate for something to happen to Sgt. Sagara because of this."

"I wouldn't concern yourself Madam Captain." Kalinin studied the folder before addressing the young Captain. "Sgt. Sagara's a professional. The best I've ever seen. He knows his duty. He won't let his emotions sway him." Kalinin allowed himself a tight smile as he spoke of the young sergeant.

"I understand." Tessa smiled at the older man. "Thank you Lt. Commander."

"You're very welcome." Kalinin coughed and asked politely." If you'll excuse me Madam Captain." He had a mission briefing to conduct.

"Yes, of course Lt. Commander."

* * *

"What do you mean you don't know?" Crispin yelled at the smiling old man before him. He and Sagara had found the apothecary Kalinin had told him about. But the man himself was a white-haired doddering fool who's Shuri accent was so thick it was almost impossible to understand.

"White Tiger? No." The old man smiled placidly and shook his head. The old man had a darker complexion and looked to be from India, or Nepal. At Crispin's scowl he held up a finger. "Ah, you mean this." He pulled off a jar form the nearby counter and thrust it toward Crispin. "Dried newt?"

"No!" Crispin grated out. "I don't." He batted the jar away from his face. "Get the damn lizard out of my face!" He glared as the old man's brow wrinkled in confusion and reluctantly placed the newt back on the counter.

"No tiger." The old man shook his head sadly.

"No tiger my ass!" Crispin snapped and lifted the man up by the collar. "Stop the games ya geezer!"

"Daniels!" Sousuke grabbed Crispin by the shoulder. "Stop it! This man's done nothing to you!"

After several tense moments Crispin snorted. "Fine! Whatever you say hero!" He dropped the old man to the ground. "You realize what this is?" He pointed a accusing finger at Sousuke. "We've been played. That Russky lied to us! That fucking bastard!" Crispin yelled and kicked a nearby shelf. Fortunately it was sturdy enough to survive the assault and nothing was broken. "Damn it!" He cursed and began to pace.

Sousuke sighed and watched Daniels rant. He understood the mechanic's frustration. He also understood Kalinin's deception. Their premature action could not only harm themselves, but Kaname as well. He was a soldier. A professional. And while he was concerned (deeply so) about the blue-haired girl he did not have the luxury of indulging that worry. For the moment, it was his job to wait.

And yet…

_They'll tear her apart!_

The corporal's words from earlier brought a chill to Sousuke's spine. They may have been spoken in hysteria, but Sousuke could not shake the awful feeling that somehow those words were true.

Sousuke clenched his eyes shut as his mind flashed the image of the pale, red-headed girl he extracted from Soviet territory on his last mission. That image and thinking the same could happen to Kaname was …painful. Sousuke did not understand it, but it was a very real pain. He was helpless and it was a knife slicing open his belly. Sousuke felt as if he would slowly bleed to death. Nothing could stop it.

Nothing except….

Sousuke opened his eyes and stared at the old man. When he had the old man's attention he spoke two words. "Pandjshir Ravine."

The old man's eyes doubled in size and he staggered back as if struck. He studied Sousuke a long time. Finally the old man laughed and spoke a single word in question.

"Kashim?"

End Chapter 18


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N - Here's the next part. I'm posting this now because if I don't I'll probably follow my normal pattern and not post it for another month! sigh. **

**Enjoy and please feel free to leave a comment!**

**The Devil Inside **

Chapter 19

"You know this geezer?" Crispin regarded Sousuke suspiciously as the white-haired man opened his arms wide and embraced the Mithril sergeant.

"Kashim!" The old man laughed delightedly in Nepalese, a language unknown to Crispin. "You've grown." He clapped his gnarled hands on Sousuke's shoulder and beamed. "Grown indeed. A fine young man."

"Thank you, Raju. You're looking well too." Sousuke returned the old man's smile.

"Why didn't you say anything? I had to put up with your rude friend for almost ten minutes! Kashim how could you?" Raju grinned.

"He's not a friend." Sousuke frowned.

"Hello?" Crispin waved his hands between the two. "I'm still here ya know. It's pretty rude to ignore someone like this." Crispin was getting irritated. It sounded like they were conversing in Pashto, one of the languages of Afghanistan or Pakistan. Maybe it was Persian? Clearly Sagara and the geezer knew each other. Crispin narrowed his eyes. So why the games? "We don't have time for this!"

"I see." The old man peered at Sousuke and Crispin. "Yet your hearts are united. You seek the same thing no?"

"Yes." Sousuke nodded in agreement. He hesitated and finally explained their situation. "A girl's life is in danger. We must act quickly." He trailed off.

"And you come to me in your hour of need. I'm honored." The old man bowed his head. "Forgive my rudeness Kashim, but I thought you'd left after your battle with Kalinin. Why is he not here?"

"He is…otherwise occupied." Sousuke finally answered. It was true, maybe not the whole truth.

"I understand." Raju clapped Sousuke on the shoulders again. "And I will help you." He stepped past Sousuke and a startled Crispin and locked the front door of his shop.

"Follow me." The old man said to both teens in near flawless Japanese. He lead them toward a shelf in the shop's rear.

"Wait, you can speak Japanese? Without the accent?" Crispin looked incredulously at the old timer and turned on Sousuke. "Sagara what kinda game is this?"

"It's no game." Sousuke followed after Raju. "He's going to help us."

"Help us?" Crispin looked the shop over skeptically. "I'm all for alternative medicine, but I don't think dried chicken guts is going to help us." Crispin smirked as the old man started shuffling through dirty jars muttering to himself. "Though I guess a prayer or two couldn't hurt."

"Ah ha!" Raju exclaimed. There was a distinctive click when he lifted one particular jar off the bottom shelf. "Help me with this." He gestured toward the shelf. Under his direction Crispin and Sousuke pushed the large shelf to the side. When it was moved it revealed…

"Holy shit!" Crispin gaped. The shelf had covered a stairway that lead into some kind of hidden basement. "What the hell is this?"

"You've improved it." Sousuke commented matter of factly.

"Yes, The locking mechanism's a nice touch. Don't you agree?" Raju cackled as he lead them down the stairs.

Crispin looked in alarm at the old man and grabbed Sousuke by the arm as the sergeant began to descend. "Is this guy…ya know? He made a twirling motion with his forefinger.

"No. As I explained. He's going to help us." Sousuke freed himself from the Lance Corporal's grip and walked downstairs.

"I don't believe this." Crispin muttered. With a curse he ran a hand through his sweat-slicked hair and followed the old man and Sousuke.

* * *

"Sorry we're late!" Kurz called out in greeting as he and Melissa made their way to the back of the briefing room on the Tuatha de Danaan. "Can you believe they made us take the bus!"

Melissa smacked the back of Kurz's head and faced Kalinin. "Reporting for duty sir." She and Kurz sat down.

"Glad you could make, Sgt. Major." Kalinin said in greeting. He was standing before three digital screens. Assembled before him were almost twenty Marines and Pilots. Kalinin was about to conduct the officer's briefing. It would then be the job of the assembled officers and senior NCOs to brief their own troops on the upcoming operation.

"I'm sorry to have called you here on such short notice." Many of the Marines assembled had been on leave or were off-duty when their CO's call came. "While successful, it seems the cruise missile strike we conducted nearly a week ago did not disrupt our enemy's plans as we had hoped."

Kalinin turned toward the large digital display behind him and a topographical map of the Okinawan archipelago flashed on screen. "You will begin search and retrieval operations immediately on Okinawa." There were a few scattered murmurs of surprise but no one interrupted.

A string of lights began to blink on the main island of Okinawa. Starting just north of the southern capital of Naha and extending all the way to the northern tip of the island. "As you are aware, Okinawa is home to some of the largest and most powerful US military bases in Asia. I know we've been having some difficulties with the Americans." Chuckles broke out at that. "But their presence will be one of our greatest assets."

Another image appeared on a smaller display. A picture of a young blue-haired girl. "This girl, code-named Angel, has been kidnapped."

"What?" Melissa stood up in shock. "Sir, that impossible! Urzu-7 has been with Angel 24-7!"

Kalinin regarded the young woman dispassionately. He had expected a reaction like this. "This information comes directly from Judas-1 Sgt. Major." He turned back to the display of Okinawa. "As I was saying."

"Judas-1!" Melissa all but shrieked. "You're trusting that son of a-?" Melissa stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Kurz shake his head. The dark-haired woman glared at Kurz and finally starred around. Almost twenty men and women were regarding her curiously. Much to the Sgt. Major's displeasure it was not her place to reveal the identity of Judas-1.

"I apologize Sir." Melissa sank into her seat. She knocked Kurz's hand off her shoulder. "Don't get fresh!" She hissed under her breath.

Kurz just held up his hands in a 'who me' gesture.

"Okinawa is an archipelago of 161 islands. Forty-four of which are inhabited." Kalinin continued his briefing unmoved by Melissa's outburst. "That's a lot of rocks to hide under so rapidity is essential." Several heads bobbed in understanding. Others scribbled quick notes.

"As explained earlier. The presence of so many US forces will actually be an asset. It's in the US's best interest to stop these terrorists." Kalinin smiled wolfishly. "And if there's one thing the Americans are good at it's looking after themselves." He received a lot of chuckles at this. "Furthermore. US forces will be assisting us in the search." Shocked spread through the room in a palpable wave.

"Sir, why are American forces going to help us? They won't go anywhere unless they're running the show." One young lieutenant asked. Most the others in the room agreed with the assessment.

"Yes, two points. First, the Americans are unaware of our own involvement in the operation. Our search patterns will keep you completely out of the American's sight. And second," Kalinin allowed himself a smile, What he was about to tell them they did not need to know but he knew it would greatly motivate his own troops- "The Madam Captain asked them."

"What?" Shook turned to amazement as the marines sat up straight to make sure they had heard right. "Is that true?" They asked. "She can do that?" They looked at each other in amazement. If the Captain went to that much trouble failure was not an option.

"From the capital Naha south, you will each be assigned a five by five kilometer sector to search." Kalinin launched into the details of the operation as squares began to pop up on the southern end of the main island. "Once you've swept your sector you will move to the next one designated in your search vector." For the next forty minutes he detailed sector assignments for each team. The order in which they will search and their follow up sectors.

"This operation will be conducted without the use of AS. Even with ECS we can't take the chance of alerting American forces of their presence. A Special Response operator will be assigned to and lead each Primary Response Team in the search." Kalinin suppressed a grimace at that order. It was never a good idea to breakup unit cohesion by placing regular infantryman under the direct orders of special operators like the SRTs. But as well trained and disciplined as the Tuatha de Danaan's marines were they had little practical experience in hostage rescue. If they found the girl, an SRT's leadership would be vital.

Kalinin nodded to an aide who began passing a large stack of folders around. "Contained within are the tactical frequencies to be used during the operation and all known frequencies used by US forces. Also included is a picture of the girl for your men to study. Be aware that the photo is approximately three years old."

"Yeah, let me tell ya. She's a first class babe now!" Kurz crowed. He was cut off by an elbow in the gut courtesy of Melissa.

Everyone smiled at the blonde AS pilot's antics, including Kalinin. Once the folders had been distributed, the Russian finished the briefing. "I know it's hard to understand, but we must not allow this girl to remain in enemy hands. We of the Tuatha de Danaan are the only ones in the world who could pull this off. And I ask for everyone's best effort in this mission."

* * *

"Jesus!" Crispin starred in shock. He followed Sousuke and the old man into a miniature armory. "What the hell?" He stood in a thirty by twenty room. It had a rack with two rifles and some pistols. A worktable to clean and repair them. Empty crates of ammo were stacked in the corner. Several metal cabinets lined all walls. It was very crowded.

"It's not chicken guts." Raju smiled. "But I thought you'd prefer this."

"Yeah." Crispin absently agreed. He walked over to a metal cabinet in daze.

Sousuke's eyes swept the area and settled on another cabinet. He opened it and nodded in satisfaction. Inside was a box of chem lights, also known as glow sticks. (Plastic tubes filled with colored liquid and a glass ampoule inside.) The liquid softly illuminated an area about fifteen feet in radius when shaken and the glass ampoule was broken. The lights would be necessary if they were to operate in the moonless night.

"Eight pounds of Symtex?" Crispin shouted in surprise. He turned to the old man wide-eyed. "You got eight pounds of Symtex! WHY?" He pointed agitatedly at a gray colored lump of wet looking clay setting on a shelf in the cabinet he had opened.

"No." Raju coughed. "Check the lower shelf." Crispin did as asked.

"More?" Crispin stared wide-eyed at the lower shelf packed with even more of the explosive. "What the hell are you trying to do old man?"

"It helps to be prepared." The apothecary shrugged.

"Prepared?" Crispin rounded on the white-haired old man. "For what? World War Three?" At the old man's shrug Crispin dropped his head with a sigh. "Forget it."

Sousuke walked over to another case in the corner. He opened it and found a MP-5 sub-machine gun, complete with a fold-out stock and three magazines, stored inside. "Do you have ammunition for this?" Sousuke asked as he pulled the sub-machine gun out.

"Yes, the third shelf over there." The old man nodded and gestured to a another cabinet. Next to the one Sousuke was looking through.

Crispin starred numbly at the weapon in Sousuke's hands. Somehow his mind had a hard time processing all of this. Japan had some of the strictest gun-control laws in the world. He could not comprehend how this old man had this much weaponry.

"Daniels. Are you alright?" Sousuke asked the dazed mechanic.

"Huh? Y-yeah I'm fine." Crispin shook himself from his daze and began to look for a weapon himself. He quickly found an M-16A2. The standard rifle for the US military and highly illegal for a civilian to have. Somehow the Lance Corporal was unsurprised.

"Hey, you got ammo for this thing?" Crispin pulled the assault rifle from it's cabinet and inspected it. It was in very good shape. The bolt and firing chamber were free of rust and carbon. The whole thing was well oiled. In answer to his question, the old man reached over and pulled out a box of 5.56 mm ammunition. He placed it on the work station with a loud thump.

"Thanks." Crispin just stared. After several moments he shook himself and began loading the ammunition into the three magazines he found with the M-16.

"Daniels, you sure you know what you're doing?" Sousuke asked as he watched Crispin load a thirty-round magazine. He was a mechanic after all.

"Yes!" Crispin snapped. "I know what I'm doing! I spent thirteen months in the Corps you ass!" He was insulted by the implication he did not know how to use a rifle. After all, in the US Marines you were an infantry-man first, regardless of your actual job.

"I know that." Sousuke conceded reasonably. "But that was what? Fourteen months ago?" Even if Crispin was an expert marksman that's a long time to go with out practice. If they ran into trouble (which was highly likely) Sousuke wanted to be certain of the mechanic's marksmanship.

"Yes, it was." Crispin bit back several vile epithets. He could understand the sergeant's concern- even if it was irritating (and insulting) as all hell. He decided to put Sousuke's fears to rest. "I also completed Phase One of SRT evaluation seven months ago."

"You did?" Sousuke starred at the other teen in surprise.

"Yes! I did." Crispin slammed the magazine he was loading onto the table in irritation. "Is that so hard to believe?" He snarled the last.

"I believe you." Sousuke held up a hand in surrender. "I was just surprised. That's all." Sousuke shrugged and returned to loading his own weapon. He was satisfied Daniels could hold his own in a fire-fight.

Crispin peered suspiciously at Sousuke, but the sergeant ignored him. Crispin finally muttered curses and returned to loading the magazine in his hand. After he was finished he turned to the old man. "Hey, you got a satchel or something to cart this stuff around?"

Raju nodded and dug out a large dusty olive-drab canvas bag. It zipped up on the one side and was large enough to stuff a half dozen rifles into. "Will this do?" He grinned at Crispin's bugged eyed look.

"Uh, yeah." Crispin shook himself (again). He really should stop being so surprised by this old timer. Crispin frowned as a thought trickled in his mind. "Have the sights been zeroed on this thing?" Crispin held up the M-16.

"Yes, I aligned them personally about two months ago." The old man looked thoughtful. "No I guess it was three." He finally decided.

"That'll do. I suppose." Crispin sighed and shoved the weapon into the bag. A second bag was provided for the magazines. Sousuke came over and started loading his own equipment into the bags as well.

"Here." Sousuke handed Crispin a dozen glow sticks still in their foil wrappers.. "We have no night sights. We'll need these."

"Yeah, good point." Crispin dumped the chem lights into the weapons bag. His eye strayed over to the cabinet where he found the Symtex earlier. Finally he asked. "You mind if I take your Symtex?" All movement in the room stopped at his question. Crispin looked up and saw Sousuke and the old man gaping at him "What?" At their stares he finally protested. "I don't want ALL of it!"

"Take what you need." Raju gestured to the cabinet.

"Alright." Crispin rubbed his hands together and started to search through the cabinet. "You got detonators? Timers? Cause I don't got time to make my own."

"Daniels." Sousuke asked somewhat worriedly. "Be careful." The thought of Crispin with high explosives bothered Sousuke. A lot.

"I am!" Crispin snapped. "I was EOD before I signed up with Mithril so back off!" He exhaled angrily and continued his search. "Prefect!" He crowed. Crispin found three detonators, five timers, and two activators. (One of which had a suicide switch.) "Now we're talking!" He pulled out the detonators et al. and the eight pound brick of Symtex. "Got another bag?" His eyes shone like a kid at Christmas.

Raju chuckled ruefully and retrieved a shoulder satchel for Crispin.

The two Mithril agents spent another ten minutes packing. They also each took a pistol at the old man's prompting. Sousuke was handed a Steyr SPP and Crispin was given a Springfield M1911 .45.

Sousuke nodded in approval at the Steyr Special Purpose Pistol (SPP). It was the same type of weapon that was confiscated from on his first day at Jindai High. The semi-automatic pistol was one of the best handguns to have in a hostile environment.

Crispin marveled at the solid feel of the heavy M1911 he held. It looked brand new and with its forty-five caliber round the large pistol had more stopping power than almost any side arm in the world.

"Alright! Now all we need to do is figure out a way to walk out of here without getting busted!" Crispin quipped. "Somehow I don't think we can take the bus."

"Yes." Sousuke agreed. "We'll need some kind of transportation."

"That's easy." The old man said. "Your can use my car."

"No Raju, you've done too much already." Sousuke shook his head. "And we may not be able to return-"

"Kashim." The old man cut off Sousuke's protest with a smile. "Because of you, I can spend my last days playing with my granddaughters. This," he gestured all around, "is the least I can do." He clapped Sousuke on the back warmly and laughed. "Perhaps I'll introduce you, Sunita just turned sixteen!" Raju winked at the last comment.

"Urgh!" Sousuke blushed and coughed. "Perhaps. Thank you."

* * *

"What do we do now?" Sousuke asked his companion. He was in the driver seat of an old Audi in a darkened parking lot just outside the city limits of Naha.

"Good question." Crispin shifted in the passenger seat of the beaten and rusty Audi that Raju, the old apothecary, had given them. "First thing we –oww! What the?" He searched the seat for what was jabbing him in the ass and pulled out what looked like the broken arm from a doll.

He tossed the broken piece of plastic out the window with a grimace. "Like I said. We got to figure out what the kidnapper's plan is. They can't just hop on a plane and take her out of the country." Crispin glanced at Sousuke. "Can they?"

Sousuke shook his head. "No, airport security is a high priority these days. It would be too risky." Sousuke trailed off and the two teens sat silent.

Finally Sousuke asked. "What about your tracker? Can you pick up anything now?" They were outside the city and hopefully the interference would be minimized.

"I doubt it." Crispin answered slowly. He reached between his legs and pulled up his book bag. He dug around in it and pulled out his hand-held computer. As he did so a large folded up map fell out onto the floor board. "Damn." Crispin cursed. He handed the computer to Sousuke and picked up the map. He stopped when his fingers closed on the thick folded paper.

"Is there a problem?" Sousuke asked when the mechanic suddenly froze.

"I-I." Crispin's breathing became erratic. He shook his head and took a deep breath. "It's crazy, but I have an idea." He slowly set up with the map in his hand. "Turn on the interior light."

Sousuke did as instructed. He froze when his eyes fell onto the cover of the map Crispin was holding up. It was a map of the cavern complexes dug by the Japanese Imperial Army that they had visited two days ago.

"What are you thinking?' Sousuke asked. His eyes never left the map.

"I think." Crispin wet his lips and rubbed the palm of his free hand on the leg of his pants. "It think this may be their plan." He waved at the map for emphasis. At Sousuke's skeptical look he pressed on. "There are miles of these things. Sure a lot of them have collapsed, been filled in, or are monuments and tourists attractions. But all of them?" He shook his head and his confidence grew as he spoke. "I don't think so. They could hide out in one of these and it'd take an army to find them."

"Yes." Sousuke nodded. What the Lance Corporal said made sense. "They could wait for the excitement to die down and then walk out of here with Chidori."

"Or they could have a boat or some other kind of transport waiting for them." Crispin pointed out. "Remember the caverns we visited overlooked the seashore." He snapped his fingers in excitement. "And remember what the old man said? The majority were dug throughout the southern part of the island. That way the kidnappers could avoid all the US bases!"

If word got out one of the Whispered was on Okinawa, Crispin had no doubts the US would mobilize everything they had in the area to find the Whispered. Therefore the kidnappers would try to avoid any American presence. And going through these caverns seemed the best way possible.

"True, good thinking." Sousuke actually smiled at the mechanic. "But where? As you said, there are miles of these caverns and catacombs. And I recall that map only covers the south eastern shore of the island."

"Yeah, but remember US Army and Naval Engineers conducted a full survey of the area in 1951." Crispin smiled and pulled out his laptop. "And I got them all right here!"

Sousuke starred at Crispin as the mechanic booted up his laptop. He did not bother asking how the AS engineer got a hold of American military records. Indeed, the Mithril sergeant felt a spark of hope in his breast. He did his best to stamp it out. It would not do to let his emotions sway him. That could lead to a fatal mistake for them and for Kaname.

"That's still a lot of ground to cover Daniels." Sousuke finally pointed out.

"Yeah, I know." Crispin opened the door and got out of the car. He groaned and worked the kinks out of his back. He scowled at the rusted Audi. It was far too cramped for the tall stocky engineer's taste. Not to mention a piece of plywood served as the passenger side floorboard.

"So what do we do?" Sousuke asked as he climbed out from the driver's seat.

"The only thing we can." Crispin shrugged. He set his laptop on the roof and folded the map out on the hood of the car. "Figure out the best place to hide a teenage girl."

End Chapter 19


End file.
